Genesis 49 (Second to the last chapter)

The Truth in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is unlike the Greek book — New Testament.

From Adam all the way to the last person, their sins are never hidden.

In this chapter, Jacob made it clear in mentioning their sins and weaknesses, before blessings are given.

Another indication and proof that G-d’s chosen people are not perfect people. Because they chose G-d. Thus, they are chosen.

Judah being above the rest of his brothers is found here as well. Hence, the word “Jew” (Yehudi | Judahite)

“Jacob’s Blessings to His Twelve Sons — The Twelve Tribes of Israel”
“Jacob’s Final Request and His Demise”

Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the End of Days.
49:1
“Reuben, you are my firstborn, … – you cannot be foremost, because you mounted your father’s bed; then you desecrated Him Who ascended my couch.
49:3-4
“Simeon and Levi are comrades, their weaponry is a stolen craft. … I will separate them within Jacob, and I will disperse them in Israel.
:5-7
“Judah – you, your brothers shall acknowledge; your hand will be at your enemies’ nape; Your father’s sons will prostrate themselves to you.
:8
A lion cub is Judah; … The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a scholar from among his descendants until Shiloh arrives and his will be an assemblage of nations.
:10
“Zebulun shall settle by seashores. …
:13
“Issachar is a strong-boned donkey; …
:14
“Dan will avenge his people, the tribes of Israel will be united as one.
:17
For Your salvation do I long, O Hashem!
:18
“Gad will recruit a regiment and it will retreat on its heel.
:19
“From Asher – his bread will have richness, and he will provide kingly delicacies.
:20
“Naphtali is a hind let loose who delivers beautiful sayings.
:21
“A charming son is Joseph, a charming son to the eye; each of the daughters climbed heights to gaze. They embittered him and became antagonists; the arrow-tongued men hated him.
:22-23
[That was] from the God of your father and He will help you, and with Shaddai – and He will bless you [with] blessings of heaven from above, blessings of the deep crouching below, blessings of the bosom and womb.
:25
The blessings of your father surpassed the blessings of my parents to the endless bounds of the world’s hills. Let them be upon Joseph’s head and upon the head of the exile from his brothers.
:26
“Benjamin is a predatory wolf; in the morning he will devour prey and in the evening he will distribute spoils.
:27
All these are the tribes of Israel – twelve – and this is what their father spoke to them and he blessed them; he blessed each according to his appropriate blessing.
:28
… “I shall be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite. The cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which faces Mamre, in the land of Canaan, …
:29-30
There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebecca his wife; and there I buried Leah.
:31
When Jacob finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed; he expired and was gathered to his people.
:33

1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.
2 Gather and listen, sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel, your father.
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the first of my might. [You should have been] superior in rank and superior in power.
4 [You have] the restlessness of water; [therefore,] you shall not have superiority, for you ascended upon your father’s couch; then you profaned [Him Who] ascended upon my bed.
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers; stolen instruments are their weapons.
6 Let my soul not enter their counsel; my honor, you shall not join their assembly, for in their wrath they killed a man, and with their will they hamstrung a bull.
7 Cursed be their wrath for it is mighty, and their anger because it is harsh. I will separate them throughout Jacob, and I will scatter them throughout Israel.
8 Judah, [as for] you, your brothers will acknowledge you. Your hand will be at the nape of your enemies, [and] your father’s sons will prostrate themselves to you.
9 A cub [and] a grown lion is Judah. From the prey, my son, you withdrew. He crouched, rested like a lion, and like a lion, who will rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples.
11 He binds his foal to a vine, and to a tendril [he binds] his young donkey. [He launders] his garment with wine, and with the blood of grapes binds his raiment.
12 [He is] red eyed from wine and white toothed from milk.
13 Zebulun will dwell on the coast of the seas; he [will be] at the harbor of the ships, and his boundary will be at Zidon.
14 Issachar is a bony donkey, lying between the boundaries.
15 He saw a resting place, that it was good, and the land, that it was pleasant, and he bent his shoulder to bear [burdens], and he became an indentured laborer.
16 Dan will avenge his people, like one, the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper on the path, which bites the horse’s heels, so its rider falls backwards.
18 For Your salvation, I hope, O Lord!
19 [As for] Gad, a troop will troop forth from him, and it will troop back in its tracks.
20 From Asher will come rich food, and he will yield regal delicacies.
21 Naphtali is a swift gazelle; [he is one] who utters beautiful words.
22 A charming son is Joseph, a son charming to the eye; [of the] women, [each one] strode along to see him.
23 They heaped bitterness upon him and became quarrelsome; yea, archers despised him.
24 But his bow was strongly established, and his arms were gilded from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there he sustained the rock of Israel,
25 from the God of your father, and He will help you, and with the Almighty, and He will bless you [with] the blessings of the heavens above, the blessings of the deep, lying below, the blessings of father and mother.
26 The blessings of your father surpassed the blessings of my parents, the ends of the everlasting hills. May they come to Joseph’s head and to the crown (of the head) of the one who was separated from his brothers.
27 Benjamin is a wolf, he will prey; in the morning he will devour plunder, and in the evening he will divide the spoil.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them; each man, according to his blessing, he blessed them.
29 And he commanded them and said to them, “I will be brought in to my people; bury me with my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for burial property.
31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca, and there I buried Leah.
32 The purchase of the field and the cave therein was from the sons of Heth.”
33 And Jacob concluded commanding his sons, and he drew his legs [up] into the bed, and expired and was brought in to his people.