Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

33 Now this is (A)the blessing with which Moses (B)the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said:

(C)“The Lord came from Sinai,
And dawned on them from (D)Seir;
He shone forth from (E)Mount Paran,
And He came with (F)ten thousands of saints;
From His right hand
Came a fiery law for them.
Yes, (G)He loves the people;
(H)All His saints are in Your hand;
They (I)sit down at Your feet;
Everyone (J)receives Your words.
(K)Moses [a]commanded a law for us,
(L)A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
And He was (M)King in (N)Jeshurun,
When the leaders of the people were gathered,
All the tribes of Israel together.

“Let (O)Reuben live, and not die,
Nor let his men be few.”

And this he said of (P)Judah:

“Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people;
(Q)Let his hands be sufficient for him,
And may You be (R)a help against his enemies.”

And of (S)Levi he said:

(T)Let Your [b]Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one,
(U)Whom You tested at Massah,
And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
(V)Who says of his father and mother,
‘I have not (W)seen them’;
(X)Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,
Or know his own children;
For (Y)they have observed Your word
And kept Your covenant.
10 (Z)They shall teach Jacob Your judgments,
And Israel Your law.
They shall put incense before You,
(AA)And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.
11 Bless his substance, Lord,
And (AB)accept the work of his hands;
Strike the loins of those who rise against him,
And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

12 Of Benjamin he said:

“The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him,
Who shelters him all the day long;
And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”

13 And of Joseph he said:

(AC)“Blessed of the Lord is his land,
With the precious things of heaven, with the (AD)dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun,
With the precious produce of the months,
15 With the best things of (AE)the ancient mountains,
With the precious things (AF)of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of (AG)Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come (AH)‘on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
17 His glory is like a (AI)firstborn bull,
And his horns like the (AJ)horns of the wild ox;
Together with them
(AK)He shall push the peoples
To the ends of the earth;
(AL)They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 And of Zebulun he said:

(AM)“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
And Issachar in your tents!
19 They shall (AN)call the peoples to the mountain;
There (AO)they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness;
For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas
And of treasures hidden in the sand.”

20 And of Gad he said:

“Blessed is he who (AP)enlarges Gad;
He dwells as a lion,
And tears the arm and the crown of his head.
21 (AQ)He provided the first part for himself,
Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there.
(AR)He came with the heads of the people;
He administered the justice of the Lord,
And His judgments with Israel.”

22 And of Dan he said:

“Dan is a lion’s whelp;
(AS)He shall leap from Bashan.”

23 And of Naphtali he said:

“O Naphtali, (AT)satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
(AU)Possess the west and the south.”

24 And of Asher he said:

(AV)“Asher is most blessed of sons;
Let him be favored by his brothers,
And let him (AW)dip his foot in oil.
25 Your sandals shall be (AX)iron and bronze;
As your days, so shall your strength be.

26 There is (AY)no one like the God of (AZ)Jeshurun,
(BA)Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
27 The eternal God is your (BB)refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
(BC)He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’
28 Then (BD)Israel shall dwell in safety,
(BE)The fountain of Jacob (BF)alone,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His (BG)heavens shall also drop dew.
29 (BH)Happy are you, O Israel!
(BI)Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
(BJ)The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies (BK)shall submit to you,
And (BL)you shall tread down their [c]high places.”

Moses Dies on Mount Nebo

34 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab (BM)to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the [d]Western Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, (BN)the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, (BO)“This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ (BP)I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

(BQ)So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but (BR)no one knows his grave to this day. (BS)Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. (BT)His [e]eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor [f]diminished. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab (BU)thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.

Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the (BV)spirit of wisdom, for (BW)Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

10 But since then there (BX)has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, (BY)whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 in all (BZ)the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, 12 and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:4 charged us with
  2. Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit. Perfections and Your Lights
  3. Deuteronomy 33:29 Places for pagan worship
  4. Deuteronomy 34:2 Mediterranean
  5. Deuteronomy 34:7 eyesight was not weakened
  6. Deuteronomy 34:7 reduced

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)

The Death of Moses

34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo(BZ) from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah,(CA) across from Jericho.(CB) There the Lord showed(CC) him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan,(CD) all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,(CE) the Negev(CF) and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms,(CG) as far as Zoar.(CH) Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath(CI) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(CJ) when I said, ‘I will give it(CK) to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross(CL) over into it.”

And Moses the servant of the Lord(CM) died(CN) there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him[g] in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor,(CO) but to this day no one knows where his grave is.(CP) Moses was a hundred and twenty years old(CQ) when he died, yet his eyes were not weak(CR) nor his strength gone.(CS) The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab(CT) thirty days,(CU) until the time of weeping and mourning(CV) was over.

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit[h] of wisdom(CW) because Moses had laid his hands on him.(CX) So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

10 Since then, no prophet(CY) has risen in Israel like Moses,(CZ) whom the Lord knew face to face,(DA) 11 who did all those signs and wonders(DB) the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials(DC) and to his whole land. 12 For no one has(DD) ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds(DE) that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

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
  7. Deuteronomy 34:6 Or He was buried
  8. Deuteronomy 34:9 Or Spirit

13 (A)Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 (B)Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my [a]life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
15 Let them be (C)confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

16 (D)Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation (E)say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 (F)But I am poor and needy;
(G)Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 40:14 Lit. soul

13 Be pleased to save me, Lord;
    come quickly, Lord, to help me.(A)

14 May all who want to take my life(B)
    be put to shame and confusion;(C)
may all who desire my ruin(D)
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”(E)
    be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you(F)
    rejoice and be glad(G) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”(H)

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;(I)
    may the Lord think(J) of me.
You are my help(K) and my deliverer;(L)
    you are my God, do not delay.(M)

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13 He who (A)despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
14 (B)The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from (C)the snares of death.

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13 Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,(A)
    but whoever respects(B) a command is rewarded.(C)

14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,(D)
    turning a person from the snares of death.(E)

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Many Women Minister to Jesus

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and [a]bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and (A)certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and [b]infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, (B)out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for [c]Him from their [d]substance.

The Parable of the Sower(C)

(D)And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded [e]a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, (E)“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables(F)

(G)Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”

10 And He said, “To you it has been given to know the [f]mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

(H)‘Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.’

The Parable of the Sower Explained(I)

11 (J)“Now the parable is this: The seed is the (K)word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of [g]temptation fall away. 14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, (L)riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with (M)patience.[h]

The Parable of the Revealed Light(N)

16 (O)“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the (P)light. 17 (Q)For nothing is secret that will not be (R)revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18 Therefore take heed how you hear. (S)For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he [i]seems to (T)have will be taken from him.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Come to Him(U)

19 (V)Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus(W)

22 (X)Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in [j]jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, (Y)“Where is your faith?”

And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, (Z)“Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 8:1 proclaiming the good news
  2. Luke 8:2 sicknesses
  3. Luke 8:3 NU, M them
  4. Luke 8:3 possessions
  5. Luke 8:8 Lit. fruit
  6. Luke 8:10 secret or hidden truths
  7. Luke 8:13 testing
  8. Luke 8:15 endurance
  9. Luke 8:18 thinks that he has
  10. Luke 8:23 danger

The Parable of the Sower(A)

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.(B) The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)(C) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s(D) household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(E)

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,(F) but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;
    though hearing, they may not understand.’[a](G)

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.(H) 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.(I) 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches(J) and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

A Lamp on a Stand

16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.(K) 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.(L) 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”(M)

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(N)

19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers(O) are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”(P)

Jesus Calms the Storm(Q)(R)

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master,(S) we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked(T) the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.(U) 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 8:10 Isaiah 6:9