Deuteronomy 33
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 33
Blessing upon the Tribes.[a] 1 This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites before he died.(A)
2 (B)He said:
The Lord came from Sinai
and dawned on his people from Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran.
With him were myriads of holy ones;
at his right hand advanced the gods.[b]
3 Indeed, lover of the peoples,
all the holy ones are at your side;
They follow at your heels,
carry out your decisions.
4 Moses charged us with the law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.(C)
5 A king arose[c] in Jeshurun
when the chiefs of the people assembled,
and the tribes of Israel united.(D)
6 May Reuben live and not die out,(E)
but let his numbers be few.
7 Of Judah he said this:
Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
and bring him to his people.[d]
His own hands defend his cause;
be a help against his foes.(F)
8 Of Levi he said:(G)
Give to Levi your Thummim,
your Urim[e] to your faithful one;
Him you tested at Massah,
contended against him at the waters of Meribah.(H)
9 [f]He said of his father and mother,
“I have no regard for them”;
His brothers he would not acknowledge,
and his own children he did not recognize.
For they kept your words,
and your covenant they upheld.(I)
10 (J)They teach your ordinances to Jacob,
your law to Israel.
They bring incense to your nostrils,
and burnt offerings to your altar.
11 Bless, Lord, his strength,
be pleased with the work of his hands.
Crush the loins of his adversaries
and of his foes, that they may not rise.
12 Of Benjamin he said:
The beloved of the Lord,
he abides in safety beside him;
He shelters him all day long;
the beloved abides at his breast.[g](K)
13 Of Joseph he said:(L)
Blessed by the Lord is his land
with the best of heaven above
and of the abyss crouching beneath;
14 With the best of the produce of the sun,
and the choicest yield of the months;
15 With the finest gifts of the ancient mountains
and the best from the everlasting hills;
16 With the best of the earth and its fullness,
and the favor of the one who dwells on Sinai.
Let these come upon the head of Joseph
and upon the brow of the prince among his brothers.(M)
17 His firstborn bull, majesty is his!
His horns are the horns of a wild ox;
With them he gores the peoples,
attacks the ends of the earth.
These are the myriads of Ephraim,
and these the thousands of Manasseh.
18 Of Zebulun he said:(N)
Rejoice, Zebulun, in your expeditions,
exult, Issachar, in your tents!
19 They invite peoples to the mountain
where they offer right sacrifices,
Because they suck up the abundance of the seas[h]
and the hidden treasures of the sand.
20 Of Gad he said:(O)
Blessed be the one who has made Gad so vast!
He lies there like a lion;
he tears the arm, the head as well.
21 He saw that the best should be his,
for there the commander’s portion was assigned;
he came at the head of the people.
He carried out the justice of the Lord
and his ordinances for Israel.(P)
22 Of Dan he said:
Dan is a lion’s cub,(Q)
that springs away from a viper!
23 Of Naphtali he said:
Naphtali, abounding with favor,
filled with the blessing of the Lord,
take possession of the west and south.(R)
24 Of Asher he said:(S)
Most blessed[i] of sons be Asher!
May he be the favorite among his brothers,
and may he dip his foot in oil!
25 May the bolts of your gates be iron and bronze;
may your strength endure through all your days!
26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides the heavens in his power,
who rides the clouds in his majesty;(T)
27 The God of old is a refuge;
a support are the arms of the Everlasting.
He drove the enemy out of your way
and he said, “Destroy!”(U)
28 Israel abides securely,
Jacob dwells apart,
In a land of grain and wine,
where the heavens drip with dew.(V)
29 Happy are you, Israel! Who is like you,
a people delivered by the Lord,
Your help and shield,
and the sword of your glory.
Your enemies cringe before you;
you stride upon their backs.(W)
Footnotes
- 33:1–29 This poem, called the Blessing of Moses, consists of a series of poetic characterizations of each of the tribes of Israel (vv. 6–25), introduced (vv. 2–3) and concluded (vv. 26–27) by a theophany; vv. 4–5 lead into the blessing proper; and the poem ends with a blessing on Israel as a whole (vv. 28–29). This catalog of the tribal units of the people Israel resembles the Blessing of Jacob (Gn 49) and the Song of Deborah (Jgs 5, especially vv. 14–18); all three poems seem to date from the early premonarchic period.
- 33:2 Gods: the divine beings who constitute the armies of the Lord, the heavenly hosts (Sabaoth); see note on 32:8. These “holy ones” (v. 3) are the retinue of the Lord, the warrior God, in his march from the southern mountains (Sinai, Seir, Paran).
- 33:5 A king arose: it is unclear whether this refers to divine kingship or the beginning of the monarchy in Israel. Jeshurun: see note on 32:15.
- 33:7 Bring him to his people: this probably refers to the isolated position of the tribe of Judah (cf. Jgs 1:17–19); according to some commentators the reference is to the divided kingdom.
- 33:8 Thummim…Urim: devices priests used for divination (cf. note on Ex 28:30).
- 33:9 The reference is probably to the Levites’ slaughter of other Israelites after the incident of the golden calf; cf. Ex 32:27–29.
- 33:12 Abides at his breast: an image of security under divine protection.
- 33:19 The abundance of the seas: perhaps the wealth that comes from sea trade or from fishing. The hidden treasures of the sand: possibly an allusion to the valuable purple dye extracted from certain marine shells found on the coast of northern Palestine.
- 33:24 Most blessed: Hebrew baruk; but the name Asher may suggest a play on the Hebrew ’ashre, “happy”; cf., e.g., v. 29; Ps 1:1. Oil: the land of the tribe of Asher was covered with olive groves.
Deuteronomy 33
English Standard Version
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. 2 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.
3 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,
4 when (G)Moses commanded us a law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 Thus the Lord[f] (H)became king in (I)Jeshurun,
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.
6 (J)“Let Reuben live, and not die,
but let his men be few.”
7 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.”
8 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;
9 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,
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
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew them
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Septuagint; Hebrew peoples
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Hebrew your
- Deuteronomy 33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Deuteronomy 33:5 Hebrew Thus he
- Deuteronomy 33:7 Probable reading; Hebrew With his hands he contended
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks Give to Levi
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Septuagint; Hebrew dwells in safety by him. He
- Deuteronomy 33:13 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Targum; Hebrew with the dew
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Samaritan; Masoretic Text His firstborn bull
- Deuteronomy 33:23 Or west
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Or a dwelling place
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Revocalization of verse 27 yields He subdues the ancient gods, and shatters the forces of old
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Hebrew the abode of Jacob was alone
Deuteronomy 33
New King James Version
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. 2 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.
3 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.
4 (K)Moses [a]commanded a law for us,
(L)A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
5 And He was (M)King in (N)Jeshurun,
When the leaders of the people were gathered,
All the tribes of Israel together.
6 “Let (O)Reuben live, and not die,
Nor let his men be few.”
7 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.”
8 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,
9 (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.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:4 charged us with
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit. Perfections and Your Lights
- Deuteronomy 33:29 Places for pagan worship
申命记 33
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
摩西祝福以色列各支派
33 這是神人摩西，在死前給以色列人所祝的福。 2 他說：
“耶和華從西奈而來，
從西珥光照他們，
從巴蘭山射出光輝，
在千萬聖者中來臨，
在他的右手有烈火的律法。
3 他實在愛人民，
他的眾聖者都在你的手裡；
他們坐在你的腳前，
各自領受你的話。
4 摩西把律法吩咐我們，
作為雅各會眾的基業。
5 人民的眾首領，以色列的各支派，
一同會合的時候，
耶和華就在耶書崙作王了。
6 願流本生存，不致死亡，
願他的人數不致稀少。”
7 論到猶大，他這樣說：
“耶和華啊，求你垂聽猶大的聲音，
領他歸回自己的族人那裡；
他曾用手為自己奮鬥，
願你幫助他抵擋仇敵。”
8 論到利未，他說：
“耶和華啊，願你的土明和烏陵屬於對你忠心的人（原文無“耶和華啊”，但因為代名詞“你”是指耶和華而不是利未，所以按文理補上，以免誤導），
就是你在瑪撒試驗過的，
在米利巴水邊與他們爭論過的。
9 利未人論到自己的父母說：‘我沒有看顧他們’；
他不承認自己的兄弟，
也不認識自己的兒女；
因為他們謹守你的話，持守你的約。
10 他們要把你的典章教訓雅各，
把你的律法教訓以色列；
他們要把香焚在你面前，
把全牲的燔祭獻在你的祭壇上。
11 耶和華啊，求你賜福他的能力，
悅納他手中的作為；
那些起來攻擊他和恨他的人，願你刺透他們的腰，
使他們不能再起來。”
12 論到便雅憫，他說：
“耶和華所愛的，必在耶和華身邊安然居住；
耶和華終日庇護他，
也必住在他的兩肩之間。”
13 論到約瑟，他說：
“願他的地蒙耶和華賜福，
得著從天上而來的上好甘露，
以及蘊藏在地裡的泉水；
14 得著從太陽而來的上好之物，
每月所產的佳果；
15 得著從太古之山而來的上品，
從永遠之嶺而來的上好之物；
16 得著從地所出的上好之物，和其中所充滿的；
得著那住在荊棘中的耶和華的恩寵；
願這些都臨到約瑟的頭上，
就是臨到那在兄弟中作王子的人的頭上。
17 他頭生的公牛大有威嚴；
他的兩角是野牛的角，
用來牴觸萬民，
直到地極；
這角是以法蓮的萬萬，
那角是瑪拿西的千千。”
18 論到西布倫，他說：
“西布倫啊，你出外的時候，要喜樂；
以薩迦啊，你在帳棚裡的時候，也要喜樂。
19 他們要把萬民召到山上來，
在那裡要獻上公義的祭；
因為他們要吸取海洋的豐富，
沙土中埋藏著的寶藏。”
20 論到迦得，他說：
“那使迦得擴張的，是應該稱頌的，
迦得蹲下如母獅，
他撕裂膀臂，連頭頂也撕裂。
21 他為自己選擇了頭一份，
因為在那裡有指揮者的分存留著；
他與人民的眾首領一同來，
他施行耶和華的公義，
以及與以色列有關的典章。”
22 論到但，他說：
“但是隻幼獅，
從巴珊跳出來。”
23 論到拿弗他利，他說：
“拿弗他利啊，你飽受恩寵，
滿得耶和華的福，
可以取得西方和南方為業。”
24 論到亞設，他說：
“願亞設蒙福，勝過眾子，
願他得兄弟的喜悅；
願他把腳蘸在油中。
25 你的門閂是銅的，是鐵的，
你的日子怎樣，你的力量也必怎樣。
26 沒有人像耶書崙的 神，
為了幫助你，他乘駕諸天，
在他的威嚴中，他騰空行雲。
27 亙古的 神是你的居所；
他永久的膀臂在你以下。
他把仇敵從你面前趕出去，
他發令說：‘毀滅吧！’
28 所以以色列可以安然居住，
雅各的本源，
獨處在產五穀新酒之地；
他的天也滴下甘露。
29 以色列啊，你是有福的；
有誰像你呢？
你這蒙耶和華拯救的子民，
他是幫助你的盾牌，
他是你威嚴的刀劍。
你的仇敵必向你屈服；
你必踐踏他們的背脊。”
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
