摩西最后的祝福

33 以下是上帝的仆人摩西临终时给以色列人的祝福:

“耶和华从西奈山来,
在西珥山向我们显现,
祂从巴兰山发出光辉;
祂带着千万圣者来临,
祂右边有闪耀的光芒。
祂爱自己的子民,
众圣者都听命于祂,
伏在祂的脚前,
领受祂的训诲。
摩西将律法颁布给我们,
作为雅各子孙的产业。
百姓的众首领齐聚,
以色列各支派集合之时,
耶和华在耶书仑做王。”

摩西祝福吕便支派说:
“尽管吕便人数稀少,
愿他存活,
不致灭没。”

摩西祝福犹大支派说:
“耶和华啊,
求你听犹大的呼求,
带他们回归本族,
帮他们对抗仇敌,
赐他们争战之力。”

摩西祝福利未支派说:
“耶和华啊,
求你把土明和乌陵赐给虔诚的利未人,
你曾经在玛撒试验他们,
在米利巴泉边与他们争论。
为了听从你的话,遵守你的约,
他们不畏冒犯父母,
舍弃弟兄,抛下儿女。
10 他们把你的典章传授给雅各,
把你的律法传授给以色列;
他们要把香献在你面前,
把全牲燔祭献在你的坛上。
11 耶和华啊,
求你赐他们力量,
悦纳他们的工作,
击碎仇敌的腰杆,
使敌人一蹶不振。”

12 摩西祝福便雅悯支派说:
“耶和华所爱的人,
安居在祂身边,
安居在祂怀中,
终日蒙祂庇护。”

13 摩西祝福约瑟家族说:
“愿他们的土地蒙耶和华赐福,
得天上的甘霖,
及地下的泉源;
14 得日月之辉,物产丰美;
15 得古老群山之精华,
永存丘陵之富饶;
16 得大地的丰肥,
蒙荆棘火中之上帝的恩宠。
愿这一切福气都落在约瑟头上,
临到弟兄中的王者身上。
17 约瑟威武如头生的公牛,
有野牛的角,
他用角抵万邦,
直到地极。
他的两角是数以万计的以法莲人和数以千计的玛拿西人。”

18 摩西祝福西布伦和以萨迦支派说:
“愿西布伦人欣然外出,
愿以萨迦人在帐篷中欢喜。
19 他们要招聚众人上山,
一同献上公义的祭;
他们汲取海里的财富和沙中的宝藏。”

20 摩西祝福迦得支派说:
“扩张迦得疆界的那位当受称颂!
迦得蹲伏如狮子,
撕碎头颅和臂膀。
21 他为自己选了最好的土地,
是留给首领的那份。
他们与众首领同行,
施行耶和华的公义和祂给以色列的典章。”

22 摩西祝福但支派说:
“但像一只从巴珊跃出的幼狮。”

23 摩西祝福拿弗他利支派说:
“拿弗他利人啊,
你们饱尝耶和华的恩宠,
满得祂的赐福,
拥有西方和南方的土地。”

24 摩西祝福亚设支派说:
“愿亚设在众子中最蒙福,
受众弟兄的恩待,
双脚沐浴橄榄油,
25 城门有铜锁铁闩,
一生都充满力量。”

26 “耶书仑啊,
上帝无与伦比,
祂驰骋诸天,前来助你,
穿越长空,充满威严。
27 亘古的上帝是你的庇护,
祂永恒的臂膀是你的依托。
祂赶走你面前的仇敌,
下令毁灭他们。
28 以色列安然居住,
雅各独居一处,
那里盛产五谷新酒,
有天上的雨露滋润。
29 以色列啊,你多么有福!
蒙耶和华拯救之人啊,谁能像你?
祂是你的盾牌,你得胜的宝剑。
敌人要向你屈服,被你践踏。”

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

Parashah 54: V’Zot HaBrachah (This is the blessing) 33:1–34:12

33 This is the blessing that Moshe, the man of God, spoke over the people of Isra’el before his death:

Adonai came from Sinai;
from Se‘ir he dawned on his people,
shone forth from Mount Pa’ran;
and with him were myriads of holy ones;
at his right hand
was a fiery law for them.
He truly loves the peoples —
all his holy ones are in your hand;
sitting at your feet,
they receive your instruction,
the Torah Moshe commanded us
as an inheritance for the community of Ya‘akov.
Then a king arose in Yeshurun
when the leaders of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Isra’el together.

“Let Re’uven live and not die out,
even though his numbers grow few.”

Of Y’hudah he said:

“Hear, Adonai, the cry of Y’hudah!
Bring him in to his people,
let his own hands defend him;
but you, help him against his enemies.”

(ii) Of Levi he said:

“Let your tumim and urim
be with your pious one,
whom you tested at Massah,
with whom you struggled at M’rivah Spring.
Of his father and mother he said, ‘I don’t know them’;
he didn’t acknowledge his brothers or children.
For he observed your word,
and he kept your covenant.
10 They will teach Ya‘akov your rulings,
Isra’el your Torah.
They will set incense before you
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Adonai, bless his possessions,
accept the work he does;
but crush his enemies hip and thigh;
may those who hate him rise no more.”

12 Of Binyamin he said:

Adonai’s beloved lives securely.
He protects him day after day.
He lives between his shoulders.”

(iii) 13 Of Yosef he said:

“May Adonai bless his land
with the best from the sky, for the dew,
and for what comes from the deep beneath,
14 with the best of what the sun makes grow,
with the best of what comes up each month,
15 with the best from the mountains of old,
with the best from the eternal hills,
16 with the best from the earth and all that fills it,
and the favor of him who lived in the [burning] bush.
May blessing come on the head of Yosef,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
17 His firstborn bull — glory is his;
his horns are those of a wild ox;
With them he will gore the peoples,
all of them, to the ends of the earth.
These are the myriads of Efrayim;
these are the thousands of M’nasheh.”

(iv) 18 Of Z’vulun he said:

“Rejoice, Z’vulun, as you go forth,
and you, Yissakhar, in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain
and there offer righteous sacrifices;
for they will draw from the abundance of the seas
and from the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 Of Gad he said:

“Blessed is he who makes Gad so large;
he lies there like a lion,
tearing arm and scalp.
21 He chose the best for himself
when the princely portion was assigned.
When the leaders of the people came,
he carried out Adonai’s justice
and his rulings concerning Isra’el.”

(v) 22 Of Dan he said:

“Dan is a lion cub
leaping forth from Bashan.”

23 Of Naftali he said:

“You, Naftali, satisfied with favor
and full of blessing from Adonai,
take possession of the sea and the south.”

24 Of Asher he said:

“May Asher be most blessed of sons,
may he be the favorite among his brothers
and bathe his feet in oil.
25 May your bolts be of iron and bronze
and your strength last as long as you live.

26 “Yeshurun, there is no one like God,
riding through the heavens to help you,
riding on the clouds in his majesty.
(vi) 27 The God of old is a dwelling-place,
with everlasting arms beneath.
He expelled the enemy before you
and he said, ‘Destroy!’
28 So Isra’el lives in security;
the fountain of Ya‘akov is alone
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the skies drip with dew.
29 Happy are you, Isra’el!
“Who is like you, a people saved by Adonai,
your defender helping you
and your sword of triumph?
Your enemies will cringe before you,
but you will trample down their high places.”