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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.

33 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said,

Jehovah came from Sinai,
And rose from Seir unto them;
He shined forth from mount Paran,
And he came from the ten thousands of [a]holy ones:
At his right hand [b]was a fiery law for them.
Yea, he loveth the [c]people;
All [d]his saints are in thy hand:
And they sat down at thy feet;
Every one [e]shall receive of thy words.
Moses commanded us a law,
An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
And [f]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;
[g]Nor let his men be few.

And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said,

Hear, Jehovah, the voice of Judah,
And bring him in unto his people.
[h]With his hands he contended [i]for himself;
And thou shalt be a help against his adversaries.

And of Levi he said,

Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with [j]thy godly one,
Whom thou didst prove at Massah,
With whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
Who said of his father, and of his mother, I have not seen him;
Neither did he acknowledge his brethren,
Nor knew he his own children:
For they have observed thy word,
And keep thy covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob thine ordinances,
And Israel thy law:
They shall put incense [k]before thee,
And whole burnt-offering upon thine altar.
11 Bless, Jehovah, his substance,
And accept the work of his hands:
Smite through the loins of them that rise up against him,
And of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

12 Of Benjamin he said,

The beloved of Jehovah shall dwell in safety by him;
He covereth him all the day long,
And he dwelleth between his shoulders.

13 And of Joseph he said,

Blessed of Jehovah be his land,
For the precious things of heaven, for the dew,
And for the deep that coucheth beneath,
14 And for the precious things of the fruits of the sun,
And for the precious things of the growth of the [l]moons,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains,
And for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 And for the precious things of the earth and the fulness thereof,
And the good will of him that dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph,
And upon the crown of the head of him [m]that was separate from his brethren.
17 [n]The firstling of his herd, majesty is his;
And his horns are the horns of the wild-ox:
With them he shall [o]push the peoples all of them, even the ends of the earth:
And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.

18 And of Zebulun he said,

Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out;
And, Issachar, in thy tents.
19 They shall call the peoples unto the mountain;
There shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness:
For they shall suck the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of the sand.

20 And of Gad he said,

Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad:
He dwelleth as a lioness,
And teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head.
21 And he [p]provided the first part for himself,
For there was [q]the lawgiver’s portion reserved;
And he came [r]with the heads of the people;
He executed the righteousness of Jehovah,
And his ordinances with Israel.

22 And of Dan he said,

Dan is a lion’s whelp,
That leapeth forth from Bashan.

23 And of Naphtali he said,

O Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full with the blessing of Jehovah,
Possess thou the [s]west and the south.

24 And of Asher he said,

Blessed be Asher [t]with children;
Let him be acceptable unto his brethren,
And let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Thy [u]bars shall be iron and brass;
And as thy days, so shall thy [v]strength be.
26 There is none like unto God, O Jeshurun,
Who rideth upon the heavens for thy help,
And in his excellency on the skies.
27 The eternal God is thy dwelling-place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy from before thee,
And said, Destroy.
28 And Israel dwelleth in safety,
The fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine;
Yea, his heavens drop down dew.
29 Happy art thou, O Israel:
Who is like unto thee, a people saved by Jehovah,
The shield of thy help,
And the sword of thy excellency!
And thine enemies shall [w]submit themselves unto thee;
And thou shalt tread upon their high places.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Hebrew holiness.
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 Or, was fire, a law. Or, as otherwise read, were streams for them
  3. Deuteronomy 33:3 Or, tribes
  4. Deuteronomy 33:3 Or, their holy ones
  5. Deuteronomy 33:3 Or, received
  6. Deuteronomy 33:5 Or, there was a king
  7. Deuteronomy 33:6 Or, But
  8. Deuteronomy 33:7 Or, Let his hands be sufficient for them
  9. Deuteronomy 33:7 Or, for them
  10. Deuteronomy 33:8 Or, him whom thou lovest
  11. Deuteronomy 33:10 Hebrew in thy nostrils.
  12. Deuteronomy 33:14 Or, months
  13. Deuteronomy 33:16 Or, that is prince among
  14. Deuteronomy 33:17 Or, His firstling bullock
  15. Deuteronomy 33:17 Or, gore
  16. Deuteronomy 33:21 Or, chose. Hebrew saw.
  17. Deuteronomy 33:21 Or, a ruler’s portion
  18. Deuteronomy 33:21 Or, to
  19. Deuteronomy 33:23 Or, sea
  20. Deuteronomy 33:24 Or, above sons
  21. Deuteronomy 33:25 Or, shoes
  22. Deuteronomy 33:25 Or, rest. Or, security
  23. Deuteronomy 33:29 Or, yield feigned obedience