Moses Blesses the Tribes(A)

33 This is the blessing(B) that Moses the man of God(C) pronounced on the Israelites before his death. He said:

“The Lord came from Sinai(D)
    and dawned over them from Seir;(E)
    he shone forth(F) from Mount Paran.(G)
He came with[a] myriads of holy ones(H)
    from the south, from his mountain slopes.[b]
Surely it is you who love(I) the people;
    all the holy ones are in your hand.(J)
At your feet they all bow down,(K)
    and from you receive instruction,
the law that Moses gave us,(L)
    the possession of the assembly of Jacob.(M)
He was king(N) over Jeshurun[c](O)
    when the leaders of the people assembled,
    along with the tribes of Israel.

“Let Reuben live and not die,
    nor[d] his people be few.”(P)

And this he said about Judah:(Q)

“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah;
    bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
    Oh, be his help against his foes!”

About Levi(R) he said:

“Your Thummim and Urim(S) belong
    to your faithful servant.(T)
You tested(U) him at Massah;
    you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.(V)
He said of his father and mother,(W)
    ‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
    or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
    and guarded your covenant.(X)
10 He teaches(Y) your precepts to Jacob
    and your law to Israel.(Z)
He offers incense before you(AA)
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.(AB)
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
    and be pleased with the work of his hands.(AC)
Strike down those who rise against him,
    his foes till they rise no more.”

12 About Benjamin(AD) he said:

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,(AE)
    for he shields him all day long,(AF)
    and the one the Lord loves(AG) rests between his shoulders.(AH)

13 About Joseph(AI) he said:

“May the Lord bless his land
    with the precious dew from heaven above
    and with the deep waters that lie below;(AJ)
14 with the best the sun brings forth
    and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains(AK)
    and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
    and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.(AL)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
    on the brow of the prince among[e] his brothers.(AM)
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
    his horns(AN) are the horns of a wild ox.(AO)
With them he will gore(AP) the nations,
    even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;(AQ)
    such are the thousands of Manasseh.(AR)

18 About Zebulun(AS) he said:

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
    and you, Issachar,(AT) in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain(AU)
    and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;(AV)
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,(AW)
    on the treasures hidden in the sand.”

20 About Gad(AX) he said:

“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!(AY)
    Gad lives there like a lion,
    tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;(AZ)
    the leader’s portion was kept for him.(BA)
When the heads of the people assembled,
    he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,(BB)
    and his judgments concerning Israel.”

22 About Dan(BC) he said:

“Dan is a lion’s cub,
    springing out of Bashan.”

23 About Naphtali(BD) he said:

“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord
    and is full of his blessing;
    he will inherit southward to the lake.”

24 About Asher(BE) he said:

“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
    let him be favored by his brothers,
    and let him bathe his feet in oil.(BF)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,(BG)
    and your strength will equal your days.(BH)

26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,(BI)
    who rides(BJ) across the heavens to help you(BK)
    and on the clouds(BL) in his majesty.(BM)
27 The eternal(BN) God is your refuge,(BO)
    and underneath are the everlasting(BP) arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,(BQ)
    saying, ‘Destroy them!’(BR)
28 So Israel will live in safety;(BS)
    Jacob will dwell[f] secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
    where the heavens drop dew.(BT)
29 Blessed are you, Israel!(BU)
    Who is like you,(BV)
    a people saved by the Lord?(BW)
He is your shield and helper(BX)
    and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
    and you will tread on their heights.(BY)

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel; also in verse 26.
  4. Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
  5. Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
  6. Deuteronomy 33:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Jacob’s spring is

The Blessing by Moses

33 Now this is the blessing with which Moses (A)the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death. He said,

(B)The Lord came from Sinai,
(C)And [a]dawned on them from Seir;
(D)He shone from Mount Paran,
And He came from (E)the midst of myriads of [b]holy ones;
(F)At His right hand there was [c]flashing lightning for them.
(G)Indeed, He loves [d]the people;
(H)All [e]Your holy ones are in Your hand,
(I)And they [f]followed in Your steps;
Everyone takes of Your words.
(J)Moses issued to us the Law,
(K)A possession for the assembly of Jacob.
(L)And He was king in [g]Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people gathered,
The tribes of Israel together.

(M)May Reuben live and not die,
Nor may his people be few.”

(N)And this was regarding Judah; so he said:

“Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people.
With his hands he contended for [h]them,
And may You be a help against his adversaries.”

Of Levi he said,

Let Your (O)Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your (P)godly man,
(Q)Whom You tested at Massah,
With [i]whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;
(R)Who said of his father and his mother,
‘I did not consider them’;
And he did not acknowledge his brothers,
Nor did he regard his own sons,
For (S)they kept Your word,
And complied with Your covenant.
10 (T)They will teach Your ordinances to Jacob,
And Your Law to Israel.
(U)They shall put [j]incense before You,
And (V)whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 Lord, bless his strength,
And accept the work of his hands;
Smash the [k]hips of those who rise up against him,
And those who hate him, so that they do not rise again.”

12 Of Benjamin he said,

(W)May the beloved of the Lord live in security beside Him
(X)Who shields him all the day long,
(Y)And he lives between His shoulders.”

13 Of Joseph he said,

(Z)Blessed of the Lord be his land,
With the choice things of heaven, with the dew,
And from the deep waters lying beneath,
14 And with the choice yield of the sun,
And the choice produce of the months;
15 And with the [l]best things of (AA)the ancient mountains,
With the choice things of the everlasting hills,
16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor (AB)of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let it come to the head of Joseph,
And to the top of the head of the one who was prince among his brothers.
17 As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his,
And his horns are the horns of (AC)the wild ox;
With them he will (AD)gore the peoples
All [m]at once, to the ends of the earth.
And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And those are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 (AE)Of Zebulun he said,

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
And, Issachar, in your tents.
19 (AF)They will call peoples to the mountain;
There they will offer (AG)righteous sacrifices;
For they will [n]draw out (AH)the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 (AI)Of Gad he said,

“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad;
He lies down (AJ)as a [o]lion,
And tears the arm, also the crown of the head.
21 (AK)Then he [p]selected the choicest part for himself,
(AL)For there the ruler’s portion was [q]reserved;
(AM)And he came with the leaders of the people;
(AN)He executed the justice of the Lord,
And His ordinances with Israel.”

22 (AO)Of Dan he said,

“Dan is (AP)a lion’s cub;
He leaps out from Bashan.”

23 Of Naphtali he said,

(AQ)Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
Take possession of the sea and the south.”

24 (AR)Of Asher he said,

“More blessed than sons is Asher;
May he be favored by his brothers,
(AS)And may he dip his foot in olive oil.
25 (AT)Your [r]bars will be iron and bronze,
(AU)And as your days, so will your strength be.

26 (AV)There is no one like the God of [s]Jeshurun,
(AW)Who rides the heavens [t]to your help,
And the clouds in His majesty.
27 (AX)The eternal God is a [u]hiding place,
(AY)And underneath are the everlasting arms;
(AZ)And He drove out the enemy from you,
(BA)And said, ‘Destroy!’
28 (BB)So Israel lives in security,
(BC)The fountain of Jacob secluded,
(BD)In a land of grain and new wine;
(BE)His heavens also drip down dew.
29 (BF)Blessed are you, Israel;
(BG)Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
(BH)The shield of your help,
(BI)And He who is the sword of your majesty!
(BJ)So your enemies will cringe before you,
(BK)And you will trample on their high places.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit rose to
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit holiness
  3. Deuteronomy 33:2 Or a fiery law
  4. Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit peoples
  5. Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit His
  6. Deuteronomy 33:3 Or lie down at Your feet
  7. Deuteronomy 33:5 A symbolic name for Israel
  8. Deuteronomy 33:7 Lit him
  9. Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit him
  10. Deuteronomy 33:10 Lit smoke in Your nostrils
  11. Deuteronomy 33:11 Lit loins
  12. Deuteronomy 33:15 Or chief
  13. Deuteronomy 33:17 Or together
  14. Deuteronomy 33:19 Lit suck
  15. Deuteronomy 33:20 Or lioness
  16. Deuteronomy 33:21 Lit saw
  17. Deuteronomy 33:21 Lit covered
  18. Deuteronomy 33:25 I.e., to secure gates
  19. Deuteronomy 33:26 I.e., Israel
  20. Deuteronomy 33:26 Lit in
  21. Deuteronomy 33:27 Or refuge

Moses' Final Blessing on Israel

33 This is the blessing with which Moses (A)the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. He said,

(B)“The Lord came from Sinai
    and dawned from Seir upon us;[a]
    he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he came (C)from the ten thousands of holy ones,
    with flaming fire[b] at his right hand.
Yes, (D)he loved his people,[c]
    (E)all his holy ones were in his[d] hand;
(F)so they followed[e] in your steps,
    receiving direction from you,
when (G)Moses commanded us a law,
    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
Thus the Lord[f] (H)became king in (I)Jeshurun,
    when the heads of the people were gathered,
    all the tribes of Israel together.

(J)“Let Reuben live, and not die,
    but let his men be few.”

And this he said of Judah:

“Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah,
    and bring him in to his people.
With your hands contend[g] for him,
    and be a help against his adversaries.”

And (K)of Levi he said,

“Give to Levi[h] (L)your Thummim,
    and your Urim to your godly one,
(M)whom you tested at Massah,
    with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
who said of his father and mother,
    ‘I regard them not’;
(N)he disowned his brothers
    and ignored his children.
For (O)they observed your word
    and kept your covenant.
10 (P)They shall teach Jacob your rules
    and Israel your law;
(Q)they shall put incense before you
    and (R)whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance,
    and (S)accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
    of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

12 (T)Of Benjamin he said,

“The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety.
The High God[i] surrounds him all day long,
    and dwells between his shoulders.”

13 And (U)of Joseph he said,

(V)“Blessed by the Lord be his land,
    with the choicest gifts of heaven (W)above,[j]
    and of the deep that crouches beneath,
14 with the choicest fruits of the sun
    and the rich yield of the months,
15 with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
    and the abundance of (X)the everlasting hills,
16 with the best gifts of the earth and (Y)its fullness
    and the favor of (Z)him who dwells in the bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
    on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.
17 (AA)A firstborn bull[k]—he has majesty,
    and his horns are the horns of a (AB)wild ox;
with them (AC)he shall gore the peoples,
    all of them, to the ends of the earth;
(AD)they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
    and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 And of Zebulun he said,

(AE)“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
    and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They shall call peoples (AF)to their mountain;
    there they offer (AG)right sacrifices;
for they draw from the abundance of the seas
    and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 And (AH)of Gad he said,

“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!
    Gad crouches (AI)like a lion;
    he tears off arm and scalp.
21 (AJ)He chose the best of the land for himself,
    for there a commander's portion was reserved;
and (AK)he came with the heads of the people,
    with Israel he executed the justice of the Lord,
    and his judgments for Israel.”

22 And (AL)of Dan he said,

(AM)“Dan is a lion's cub
    (AN)that leaps from Bashan.”

23 And (AO)of Naphtali he said,

“O Naphtali, sated with favor,
    and full of the blessing of the Lord,
    (AP)possess the lake[l] and the south.”

24 And (AQ)of Asher he said,

“Most blessed of sons be Asher;
    let him be the favorite of his brothers,
    and let him (AR)dip his foot in oil.
25 Your bars shall be iron and bronze,
    and as your days, so shall your strength be.

26 (AS)“There is none like God, O (AT)Jeshurun,
    (AU)who rides through the heavens to your help,
    through the skies in his majesty.
27 The eternal God is your (AV)dwelling place,[m]
    and underneath are the everlasting arms.[n]
And he thrust out the enemy before you
    and said, ‘Destroy.’
28 So Israel lived in safety,
    (AW)Jacob lived (AX)alone,[o]
in a land of grain and wine,
    whose heavens drop down dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel! (AY)Who is like you,
    a people (AZ)saved by the Lord,
(BA)the shield of your help,
    and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
    and you shall tread upon their backs.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew them
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  3. Deuteronomy 33:3 Septuagint; Hebrew peoples
  4. Deuteronomy 33:3 Hebrew your
  5. Deuteronomy 33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  6. Deuteronomy 33:5 Hebrew Thus he
  7. Deuteronomy 33:7 Probable reading; Hebrew With his hands he contended
  8. Deuteronomy 33:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks Give to Levi
  9. Deuteronomy 33:12 Septuagint; Hebrew dwells in safety by him. He
  10. Deuteronomy 33:13 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Targum; Hebrew with the dew
  11. Deuteronomy 33:17 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Samaritan; Masoretic Text His firstborn bull
  12. Deuteronomy 33:23 Or west
  13. Deuteronomy 33:27 Or a dwelling place
  14. Deuteronomy 33:27 Revocalization of verse 27 yields He subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old
  15. Deuteronomy 33:28 Hebrew the abode of Jacob was alone

Moses Blesses the Tribes of Israel

33 Moses was a prophet, and before he died, he blessed the tribes of Israel by saying:

The Lord came from Mount Sinai.
From Edom, he gave light
    to his people,
and his glory was shining
    from Mount Paran.
Thousands of his warriors
were with him, and fire
    was at his right hand.[a]
(A) The Lord loves the tribes
of Israel,[b]
    and he protects his people.
They listen to his words
    and worship at his feet.
* I called a meeting
of the tribes of Israel[c]
    and gave you God's Law.
Then you and your leaders
    made the Lord your king.

Tribe of Reuben, you will live,
even though your tribe
    will always be small.[d]

The Lord will listen to you,
tribe of Judah, as you beg
    to come safely home.
You fought your enemies alone;[e]
    now the Lord will help you.

(B) At Massah and Meribah Spring,[f]
the Lord tested you,
    tribe of Levi.
You were faithful,[g]
and so the priesthood[h] belongs
    to the Levi tribe.
Protecting Israel's agreement
    with the Lord
was more important to you
than the life of your father
    or mother,
or brothers or sisters,
    or your own children.[i]

10 You teach God's laws to Israel,[j]
    and at the place of worship
you offer sacrifices
    and burn incense.
11 I pray that the Lord will bless
    everything you do,
and make you strong enough
    to crush your enemies.

12 The Lord Most High[k] loves you,
    tribe of Benjamin.
He will live among your hills
    and protect you.

13 Descendants of Joseph,
    the Lord will bless you
with precious water
from deep wells
    and with dew from the sky.
14 Month by month, your fruit
    will ripen in the sunshine.
15 You will have a rich harvest
from the slopes
    of the ancient hills.
16 The Lord who appeared
    in the burning bush
wants to give you the best
    the land can produce,
and it will be a princely crown
    on Joseph's head.

17 The armies of Ephraim
    and Manasseh
are majestic and fierce
    like a bull or a wild ox.
They will run their spears
    through faraway nations.

18 Be happy, Zebulun,
    as your boats set sail;
be happy, Issachar,
    in your tents.
19 The sea will make you wealthy,
and from the sandy beach
    you will get treasure.[l]
So invite the other tribes[m]
to celebrate with you
    and offer sacrifices to God.

20 Tribe of Gad,
the Lord will bless you
    with more land.
So shout his praises!
Your tribe is like a lion
    ripping up its victim.
21 Your leaders met together
and chose the best land
    for your tribe,
but you obeyed the Lord
    and helped the other tribes.[n]

22 Tribe of Dan,
you are like a lion cub,
    startled by a snake.[o]

23 The Lord is pleased with you,
    people of Naphtali.
He will bless you
and give you the land
    to the west and the south.[p]

24 The Lord's greatest blessing
    is for you, tribe of Asher.
You will be the favorite
    of all the other tribes.
You will be rich with olive oil
25 and have strong town gates
    with bronze and iron bolts.
Your people will be powerful
    for as long as they live.

26 Israel,[q] no other god
    is like ours—
the clouds are his chariot
as he rides across the skies
    to come and help us.
27 The eternal God
is our hiding place;
    he carries us in his arms.
When God tells you
to destroy your enemies,
    he will make them run.
28 Israel, you will live in safety;
    your enemies will be gone.[r]
The dew will fall from the sky,
and you will have plenty
    of grain and wine.
29 The Lord has rescued you
and given you more blessings
    than any other nation.
He protects you like a shield
    and is your majestic sword.
Your enemies will bow in fear,
and you will trample
    on their backs.

Footnotes

  1. 33.2 Thousands … right hand: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 33.3 the tribes of Israel: Or “the nations.”
  3. 33.4 Israel: The Hebrew text also uses the name “Jeshurun,” a rare name for “Israel.”
  4. 33.6 even though … small: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. 33.7 beg … alone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  6. 33.8 Massah and Meribah Spring: See Exodus 17.1-7; Numbers 20.1-13.
  7. 33.8 the Lord tested you, tribe of Levi. You were faithful: Or “the Lord tested me. I was faithful” or “the Lord tested Aaron and me. We were faithful.”
  8. 33.8 priesthood: The Hebrew text has “your thummim and your urim,” objects that were used by priests to get answers from God.
  9. 33.9 Protecting Israel's agreement … your own children: See Exodus 32.25-29.
  10. 33.10 Israel: See the note at 32.9.
  11. 33.12 Most High: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  12. 33.19 sandy beach … treasure: Possibly a reference to glass made from sand; glass was rare and very valuable.
  13. 33.19 other tribes: Or “nations.”
  14. 33.21 tribes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 21. The Gad tribe asked for some of the land east of the Jordan River, but promised that their warriors would cross the Jordan and help the other tribes take over the land west of the Jordan (see Numbers 32.1-33; Joshua 4.10-13).
  15. 33.22 startled by a snake: Or “jumping out from the forest of Bashan.”
  16. 33.23 land to the west and the south: Or “land south as far as Lake Galilee.”
  17. 33.26 Israel: See the note at 33.4.
  18. 33.28 your enemies will be gone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

Moses Blesses the People

33 This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death:

“The Lord came from Mount Sinai
    and dawned upon us[a] from Mount Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran
    and came from Meribah-kadesh
    with flaming fire at his right hand.[b]
Indeed, he loves his people;[c]
    all his holy ones are in his hands.
They follow in his steps
    and accept his teaching.
Moses gave us the Lord’s instruction,
    the special possession of the people of Israel.[d]
The Lord became king in Israel[e]
    when the leaders of the people assembled,
    when the tribes of Israel gathered as one.”

Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben:[f]

“Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out,
    though they are few in number.”

Moses said this about the tribe of Judah:

“O Lord, hear the cry of Judah
    and bring them together as a people.
Give them strength to defend their cause;
    help them against their enemies!”

Moses said this about the tribe of Levi:

“O Lord, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots—
    to your faithful servants the Levites.[g]
You put them to the test at Massah
    and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah.
The Levites obeyed your word
    and guarded your covenant.
They were more loyal to you
    than to their own parents.
They ignored their relatives
    and did not acknowledge their own children.
10 They teach your regulations to Jacob;
    they give your instructions to Israel.
They present incense before you
    and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.
11 Bless the ministry of the Levites, O Lord,
    and accept all the work of their hands.
Hit their enemies where it hurts the most;
    strike down their foes so they never rise again.”

12 Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin:

“The people of Benjamin are loved by the Lord
    and live in safety beside him.
He surrounds them continuously
    and preserves them from every harm.”

13 Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph:

“May their land be blessed by the Lord
    with the precious gift of dew from the heavens
    and water from beneath the earth;
14 with the rich fruit that grows in the sun,
    and the rich harvest produced each month;
15 with the finest crops of the ancient mountains,
    and the abundance from the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty,
    and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush.
May these blessings rest on Joseph’s head,
    crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.
17 Joseph has the majesty of a young bull;
    he has the horns of a wild ox.
He will gore distant nations,
    even to the ends of the earth.
This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim
    and the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar[h]:

“May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels.
    May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.
19 They summon the people to the mountain
    to offer proper sacrifices there.
They benefit from the riches of the sea
    and the hidden treasures in the sand.”

20 Moses said this about the tribe of Gad:

“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory!
    Gad is poised there like a lion
    to tear off an arm or a head.
21 The people of Gad took the best land for themselves;
    a leader’s share was assigned to them.
When the leaders of the people were assembled,
    they carried out the Lord’s justice
    and obeyed his regulations for Israel.”

22 Moses said this about the tribe of Dan:

“Dan is a lion’s cub,
    leaping out from Bashan.”

23 Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali:

“O Naphtali, you are rich in favor
    and full of the Lord’s blessings;
    may you possess the west and the south.”

24 Moses said this about the tribe of Asher:

“May Asher be blessed above other sons;
    may he be esteemed by his brothers;
    may he bathe his feet in olive oil.
25 May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze;
    may you be secure all your days.”

26 “There is no one like the God of Israel.[i]
    He rides across the heavens to help you,
    across the skies in majestic splendor.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
    and his everlasting arms are under you.
He drives out the enemy before you;
    he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’
28 So Israel will live in safety,
    prosperous Jacob in security,
in a land of grain and new wine,
    while the heavens drop down dew.
29 How blessed you are, O Israel!
    Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord?
He is your protecting shield
    and your triumphant sword!
Your enemies will cringe before you,
    and you will stomp on their backs!”

Footnotes

  1. 33:2a As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads upon them.
  2. 33:2b Or came from myriads of holy ones, from the south, from his mountain slopes. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 33:3 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Indeed, lover of the peoples.
  4. 33:4 Hebrew of Jacob. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation.
  5. 33:5 Hebrew in Jeshurun, a term of endearment for Israel.
  6. 33:6 Hebrew lacks Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben.
  7. 33:8 As in Greek version; Hebrew lacks the Levites.
  8. 33:18 Hebrew lacks and Issachar.
  9. 33:26 Hebrew of Jeshurun, a term of endearment for Israel.