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Introduction to the Blessing of Moses

33 This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. He said:

A Historical Review

“The Lord came from Sinai
and revealed himself[a] to Israel[b] from Seir.
He appeared in splendor[c] from Mount Paran,
and came forth with ten thousand holy ones.[d]
With his right hand he gave a fiery law[e] to them.
Surely he loves the people;[f]
all your holy ones[g] are in your power.[h]
And they sit[i] at your feet,
each receiving[j] your words.
Moses delivered to us a law,[k]
an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
The Lord[l] was king over Jeshurun,[m]
when the leaders of the people assembled,
the tribes of Israel together.[n]

Blessing on Reuben

“May Reuben live and not die,
and may his people multiply.”[o]

Blessing on Judah

And this is the blessing[p] to Judah. He said,
“Listen, O Lord, to Judah’s voice,
and bring him to his people.
May his power be great,
and may you help him against his foes.”

Blessing on Levi

Of Levi he said:
“Your Thummim and Urim[q] belong to your godly one,[r]
whose authority you challenged at Massah,[s]
and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.[t]
He said to his father and mother, ‘I have not seen him,’[u]
and he did not acknowledge his own brothers
or know his own children,
for they kept your word,
and guarded your covenant.
10 They will teach Jacob your ordinances
and Israel your law;
they will offer incense as a pleasant odor,
and a whole offering on your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his goods,
and be pleased with his efforts;
undercut the legs[v] of any who attack him,
and of those who hate him, so that they cannot stand.”

Blessing on Benjamin

12 Of Benjamin he said:
“The beloved of the Lord will live safely by him;
he protects him all the time,
and the Lord[w] places him on his chest.”[x]

Blessing on Joseph

13 Of Joseph he said:
“May the Lord bless his land
with the harvest produced by the sky,[y] by the dew,
and by the depths crouching beneath;
14 with the harvest produced by the daylight[z]
and by[aa] the moonlight;[ab]
15 with the best[ac] of the ancient mountains
and the harvest produced by the age-old hills;
16 with the harvest of the earth and its fullness
and the pleasure of him who resided in the burning bush.[ad]
May blessing rest on Joseph’s head,
and on the top of the head of the one set apart[ae] from his brothers.
17 May the firstborn of his bull bring him honor,
and may his horns be those of a wild ox;
with them may he gore all peoples,
all the far reaches of the earth.
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,[af]
and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

Blessing on Zebulun and Issachar

18 Of Zebulun he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, when you go outside,
and Issachar, when you are in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain,
there they will sacrifice proper[ag] sacrifices;
for they will enjoy[ah] the abundance of the seas,
and the hidden treasures of the shores.”[ai]

Blessing on Gad

20 Of Gad he said:
“Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad.
Like a lioness he will dwell;
he will tear at an arm—indeed, a scalp.[aj]
21 He has selected the best part for himself,
for the portion of the ruler[ak] is set aside[al] there;
he came with the leaders[am] of the people,
he obeyed the righteous laws of the Lord
and his ordinances with Israel.”

Blessing on Dan

22 Of Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub;
he will leap forth from Bashan.”[an]

Blessing on Naphtali

23 Of Naphtali he said:
“O Naphtali, overflowing with favor,
and full of the Lord’s blessing,
possess the west and south.”

Blessing on Asher

24 Of Asher he said:
“Asher is blessed with children;
may he be favored by his brothers,
and may he dip his foot in olive oil.[ao]
25 The bars of your gates[ap] will be made of iron and bronze,
and may you have lifelong strength.”

General Praise and Blessing

26 “There is no one like God, O Jeshurun,[aq]
who rides through the sky[ar] to help you,
on the clouds in majesty.
27 The everlasting God is a refuge,
and underneath you are his eternal arms;[as]
he has driven out enemies before you,
and has said, “Destroy!”
28 Israel lives in safety,
the fountain of Jacob is quite secure,[at]
in a land of grain and new wine;
indeed, its heavens[au] rain down dew.[av]
29 You have joy, Israel! Who is like you?
You are a people delivered by the Lord,
your protective shield
and your exalted sword.
May your enemies cringe before you;
may you trample on their backs.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 tn Or “rose like the sun” (NCV, TEV).
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 tc Heb “to him.” The LXX reads “to us” (לָנוּ [lanu] for לָמוֹ [lamo]), the reading of the MT is acceptable since it no doubt has in mind Israel as a collective singular.tn Heb “him”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  3. Deuteronomy 33:2 tn Or “he shone forth” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
  4. Deuteronomy 33:2 tc With slight alteration (מִמְרִבַת קָדֵשׁ [mimrivat qadesh] for the MT’s מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ [merivevot qodesh]) the translation would be “from Meribah Kadesh” (cf. NAB, NLT; see Deut 32:51). However, the language of holy war in the immediate context favors the reading of the MT, which views the Lord as accompanied by angelic hosts.
  5. Deuteronomy 33:2 tc The mispointed Hebrew term אֵשְׁדָּת (ʾeshdat) should perhaps be construed as אֵשְׁהַת (ʾeshhat) with Smr.
  6. Deuteronomy 33:3 tc Heb “peoples.” The apparent plural form is probably a misunderstood singular (perhaps with a pronominal suffix) with enclitic mem (ם). See HALOT 838 s.v. עַם B.2.
  7. Deuteronomy 33:3 tc Heb “his holy ones.” The third person masculine singular suffix of the Hebrew MT is problematic in light of the second person masculine singular suffix on בְּיָדֶךָ (beyadekha, “your hands”). The LXX versions by Lucian and Origen read, therefore, “the holy ones.” The LXX version by Theodotion and the Vulgate, however, presuppose third masculine singular suffix on בְּיָדָיו (beyadayv, “his hands”), and thus retain “his holy ones.” The efforts to bring pronominal harmony into the line is commendable but unnecessary given the Hebrew tendency to be untroubled by such grammatical inconsistencies. However, the translation harmonizes the first pronoun with the second so that the referent (the Lord) is clear.
  8. Deuteronomy 33:3 tn Heb “hands.” For the problem of the pronoun see note on the term “holy ones” earlier in this verse.
  9. Deuteronomy 33:3 tn The Hebrew term תֻּכּוּ (tukku, probably Pual perfect of תָּכָה, takhah) is otherwise unknown. The present translation is based on the reference to feet and, apparently, receiving instruction in God’s words (cf. KJV, ASV). Other options are as follows: NIV “At your feet they all bow down” (cf. NCV, CEV); NLT “They follow in your steps” (cf. NAB, NASB); NRSV “they marched at your heels.”
  10. Deuteronomy 33:3 tn The singular verbal form in the Hebrew text (lit. “he lifts up”) is understood in a distributive manner, focusing on the action of each individual within the group.
  11. Deuteronomy 33:4 tn The Hebrew term תּוֹרָה (torah) here should be understood more broadly as instruction.
  12. Deuteronomy 33:5 tn Heb “he was king.” The present translation avoids the sudden shift in person and the mistaken impression that Moses is the referent by specifying the referent as “the Lord.”
  13. Deuteronomy 33:5 sn Jeshurun is a term of affection referring to Israel, derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). See note on the term in Deut 32:15.
  14. Deuteronomy 33:5 sn The following blessing is given to the tribes in order, although the tribe of Simeon is curiously missing from the list.
  15. Deuteronomy 33:6 tn Heb “and [not] may his men be few” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV).
  16. Deuteronomy 33:7 tn The words “the blessing” are supplied in the translation for clarity and stylistic reasons.
  17. Deuteronomy 33:8 sn Thummim and Urim. These terms, whose meaning is uncertain, refer to sacred stones carried in a pouch on the breastplate of the high priest and examined on occasion as a means of ascertaining God’s will or direction. See Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 28:6. See also C. Van Dam, NIDOTTE 1:329-31.
  18. Deuteronomy 33:8 tn Heb “godly man.” The reference is probably to Moses as representative of the whole tribe of Levi.
  19. Deuteronomy 33:8 sn Massah means “testing” in Hebrew; the name is a wordplay on what took place there. Cf. Exod 17:7; Deut 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8-9.
  20. Deuteronomy 33:8 sn Meribah means “contention, argument” in Hebrew; this is another wordplay on the incident that took place there. Cf. Num 20:13, 24; Ps 106:32.
  21. Deuteronomy 33:9 sn This statement no doubt alludes to the Levites’ destruction of their own fellow tribesmen following the golden calf incident (Exod 32:25-29).
  22. Deuteronomy 33:11 tn Heb “smash the sinews [or “loins,” so many English versions].” This part of the body was considered to be center of one’s strength (cf. Job 40:16; Ps 69:24; Prov 31:17; Nah 2:2, 11). See J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (JPSTC), 325.
  23. Deuteronomy 33:12 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  24. Deuteronomy 33:12 tn Heb “between his shoulders.” This suggests the scene in John 13:23 with Jesus and the Beloved Disciple.
  25. Deuteronomy 33:13 tn Heb “from the harvest of the heavens.” The referent appears to be good crops produced by the rain that falls from the sky.
  26. Deuteronomy 33:14 tn Heb “goings forth of the sun.”
  27. Deuteronomy 33:14 tn Heb “and from the harvest of the yield of.” This has been simplified in the translation to avoid redundancy.
  28. Deuteronomy 33:14 tn Heb “the moon.” Many English versions regard this as a reference to “months” (“moons”) rather than the moon itself (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
  29. Deuteronomy 33:15 tn Heb “head” or “top.”
  30. Deuteronomy 33:16 tn The expression “him who resided in the bush” is frequently understood as a reference to the appearance of the Lord to Moses at Sinai from a burning bush (so NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT; cf. Exod 2:2-6; 3:2, 4). To make this reference clear the word “burning” is supplied in the translation.
  31. Deuteronomy 33:16 sn This apparently refers to Joseph’s special status among his brothers as a result of his being chosen by God to save the family from the famine and to lead Egypt.
  32. Deuteronomy 33:17 sn Ephraim and Manasseh were the sons of Joseph who became founders of the two tribes into which Joseph’s descendants were split (Gen 48:19-20). Jacob’s blessing granted favored status to Ephraim; this is probably why Ephraim is viewed here as more numerous than Manasseh.
  33. Deuteronomy 33:19 tn Or “acceptable”; Heb “righteous” (so NASB).
  34. Deuteronomy 33:19 tn Heb “suck.”
  35. Deuteronomy 33:19 tn Heb “of the sand” (so NRSV, NLT); CEV “the sandy beach.”
  36. Deuteronomy 33:20 tn Heb “forehead,” picturing Gad attacking prey.
  37. Deuteronomy 33:21 tn The Hebrew term מְחֹקֵק (mekhoqeq; Poel participle of חָקַק, khaqaq, “to inscribe”) reflects the idea that the recorder of allotments (the “ruler”) is able to set aside for himself the largest and best. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (NAC), 444-45.
  38. Deuteronomy 33:21 tn Heb “covered in” (if from the root סָפַן, safan; cf. HALOT 764-65 s.v. ספן qal).
  39. Deuteronomy 33:21 tn Heb “heads” (in the sense of chieftains).
  40. Deuteronomy 33:22 sn He will leap forth from Bashan. This may refer to Dan’s conquest of Laish, a region just to the west of Bashan (Judg 18:27-28).
  41. Deuteronomy 33:24 sn Dip his foot in olive oil. This is a metaphor for prosperity, one especially apt in light of the abundance of olive groves in the area settled by Asher. The Hebrew term refers to olive oil, which symbolizes blessing in the OT. See R. Way, NIDOTTE 4:171-73.
  42. Deuteronomy 33:25 tn The words “of your gates” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent of “bars.”
  43. Deuteronomy 33:26 sn Jeshurun is a term of affection referring to Israel, derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). See note on the term in Deut 32:15.
  44. Deuteronomy 33:26 tn Or “(who) rides (on) the heavens” (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT). This title depicts Israel’s God as sovereign over the elements of the storm (cf. Ps 68:33). The use of the phrase here may be polemical; Moses may be asserting that Israel’s God, not Baal (called the “rider of the clouds” in the Ugaritic myths), is the true divine king (cf. v. 5) who controls the elements of the storm, grants agricultural prosperity, and delivers his people from their enemies. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 151 (1994): 275.
  45. Deuteronomy 33:27 tn Heb “and from under, arms of perpetuity.” The words “you” and “his” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Some have perceived this line to be problematic and have offered alternative translations that differ significantly from the present translation: “He spread out the primeval tent; he extended the ancient canopy” (NAB); “He subdues the ancient gods, shatters the forces of old” (NRSV). These are based on alternate meanings or conjectural emendations rather than textual variants in the mss and versions.
  46. Deuteronomy 33:28 tn Heb “all alone.” The idea is that such vital resources as water will some day no longer need protection because God will provide security.
  47. Deuteronomy 33:28 tn Or “skies.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
  48. Deuteronomy 33:28 tn Or perhaps “drizzle, showers.” See note at Deut 32:2.

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

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.”

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