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

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

“Yahweh came from Sinai,
    and rose from Seir to them.
He shone from Mount Paran.
    He came from the ten thousands of holy ones.
    At his right hand was a fiery law for them.[a]
Yes, he loves the people.
    All his saints are in your hand.
    They sat down at your feet.
    Each receives your words.
Moses commanded us a law,
    an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
He was king in Jeshurun,
    when the heads of the people were gathered,
    all the tribes of Israel together.

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

This is for Judah. He said,

“Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah.
    Bring him in to his people.
With his hands he contended for himself.
    You shall be a help against his adversaries.”

About Levi he said,

“Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one,
    whom you proved at Massah,
    with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.
He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’
    He didn’t acknowledge his brothers,
    nor did he know his own children;
for they have observed your word,
    and keep your covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob your ordinances,
    and Israel your law.
They shall put incense before you,
    and whole burnt offering on your altar.
11 Yahweh, bless his skills.
    Accept the work of his hands.
Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him,
    of those who hate him, that they not rise again.”

12 About Benjamin he said,

“The beloved of Yahweh will dwell in safety by him.
    He covers him all day long.
    He dwells between his shoulders.”

13 About Joseph he said,

“His land is blessed by Yahweh,
    for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew,
    for the deep that couches beneath,
14 for the precious things of the fruits of the sun,
    for the precious things that the moon can yield,
15 for the best things of the ancient mountains,
    for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 for the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
    the good will of him who lived in the bush.[b]
Let this come on the head of Joseph,
    on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers.
17 Majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd.
    His horns are the horns of the wild ox.
    With them he will push all the peoples to the ends of the earth.
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim.
    They are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 About Zebulun he said,

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out;
    and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will call the peoples to the mountain.
    There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness,
for they will draw out the abundance of the seas,
    the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 About Gad he said,

“He who enlarges Gad is blessed.
    He dwells as a lioness,
    and tears the arm and the crown of the head.
21 He provided the first part for himself,
    for the lawgiver’s portion reserved was reserved for him.
He came with the heads of the people.
    He executed the righteousness of Yahweh,
    His ordinances with Israel.”

22 About Dan he said,

“Dan is a lion’s cub
    that leaps out of Bashan.”

23 About Naphtali he said,

“Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
    full of Yahweh’s blessing,
    Possess the west and the south.”

24 About Asher he said,

“Asher is blessed with children.
    Let him be acceptable to his brothers.
    Let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your bars will be iron and bronze.
    As your days, so your strength will be.

26 “There is no one like God, Jeshurun,
    who rides on the heavens for your help,
    in his excellency on the skies.
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place.
    Underneath are the everlasting arms.
He thrust out the enemy from before you,
    and said, ‘Destroy!’
28 Israel dwells in safety,
    the fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine.
    Yes, his heavens drop down dew.
29 You are happy, Israel!
    Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh,
    the shield of your help,
    the sword of your excellency?
Your enemies will submit themselves to you.
    You will tread on their high places.”

Footnotes

  1. 33:2 another manuscript reads “He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.”
  2. 33:16 i.e., the burning bush of Exodus 3:3-4.