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Deuteronomy 33
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 33
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Moses’ Blessings
33 This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave the Israelites before his death.(A) 2 He said:
The Lord came from Sinai
and appeared to them from Seir;
He shone on them from Mount Paran
and came with ten thousand holy ones,[a]
with lightning[b] from His right hand[c] for them.(B)
3 Indeed He loves the people.[d](C)
All Your[e] holy ones[f] are in Your hand,
and they assemble[g] at Your feet.
Each receives Your words.
4 Moses gave us instruction,
a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 So He became King in Jeshurun[h]
when the leaders of the people gathered
with the tribes of Israel.
6 Let Reuben live and not die
though his people become few.(D)
7 He said this about Judah:
Lord, hear Judah’s cry and bring him to his people.
He fights for his cause[i] with his own hands,
but may You be a help against his foes.
8 He said about Levi:
Your Thummim and Urim belong to Your faithful one;[j]
You tested him at Massah
and contended with him at the waters of Meribah.(E)
9 He said about his father and mother,
“I do not regard them.”
He disregarded his brothers
and didn’t acknowledge his sons,
for they kept Your word
and maintained Your covenant.(F)
10 They will teach Your ordinances to Jacob
and Your instruction to Israel;(G)
they will set incense before You
and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 Lord, bless his possessions,[k]
and accept the work of his hands.
Smash the loins of his adversaries and enemies,
so that they cannot rise again.
12 He said about Benjamin:
The Lord’s beloved rests[l] securely on Him.
He[m] shields him all day long,
and he rests on His shoulders.[n]
13 He said about Joseph:
May his land be blessed by the Lord
with the dew of heaven’s bounty
and the watery depths that lie beneath;(H)
14 with the bountiful harvest from the sun
and the abundant yield of the seasons;
15 with the best products of the ancient mountains
and the bounty of the eternal hills;
16 with the choice gifts of the land
and everything in it;
and with the favor of Him
who appeared[o] in the burning bush.(I)
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the crown of the prince of his brothers.(J)
17 His firstborn bull has[p] splendor,
and horns like[q] those of a wild ox;
he gores all the peoples with them
to the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and such are the thousands of Manasseh.
18 He said about Zebulun:
Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They summon the peoples to a mountain;
there they offer acceptable sacrifices.
For they draw from the wealth of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.(K)
20 He said about Gad:
The one who enlarges Gad’s territory
will be blessed.
He lies down like a lion
and tears off an arm or even a head.(L)
21 He chose the best part for himself,
because a ruler’s portion was assigned there for him.
He came with the leaders of the people;
he carried out the Lord’s justice
and His ordinances for Israel.(M)
22 He said about Dan:
Dan is a young lion,
leaping out of Bashan.(N)
23 He said about Naphtali:
Naphtali, enjoying approval,
full of the Lord’s blessing,
take[r] possession to the west and the south.
24 He said about Asher:
May Asher[s] be the most blessed of the sons;
may he be the most favored among his brothers
and dip his foot in olive oil.[t](O)
25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze,
and your strength last as long as you live.
26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun,[u]
who rides the heavens to your aid,
the clouds in His majesty.(P)
27 The God of old is your dwelling place,(Q)
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He drives out the enemy before you
and commands, “Destroy!”
28 So Israel dwells securely;
Jacob lives untroubled[v](R)
in a land of grain and new wine;
even his skies drip with dew.(S)
29 How happy you are, Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the Lord?
He is the shield that protects you,
the sword you boast in.
Your enemies will cringe before you,(T)
and you will tread on their backs.[w](U)
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 LXX reads Mount Paran with ten thousands from Kadesh
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or fiery law; Hb obscure
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or ones, from His southland to the mountain slopes
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Or peoples
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit His, or its
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Either the saints of Israel or angels
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Hb obscure
- Deuteronomy 33:5 = Upright One, referring to Israel
- Deuteronomy 33:7 Or He contends for them
- Deuteronomy 33:8 DSS, LXX read Give to Levi Your Thummim, Your Urim to Your favored one
- Deuteronomy 33:11 Or abilities
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Or Let the Lord’s beloved rest
- Deuteronomy 33:12 LXX reads The Most High
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Or and He dwells among his mountain slopes
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Lit dwelt
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Some DSS, Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg read A firstborn bull—he has
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Lit and his horns are
- Deuteronomy 33:23 Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg, Tg read he will take
- Deuteronomy 33:24 = Happy or Blessed; Gn 30:13
- Deuteronomy 33:24 A symbol for prosperity
- Deuteronomy 33:26 = Upright One, referring to Israel
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Text emended; MT reads Jacob’s fountain is alone
- Deuteronomy 33:29 Or high places
Deuteronomy 33
New International Version
Deuteronomy 33
New International Version
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. 2 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]
3 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,
4 the law that Moses gave us,(L)
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.(M)
5 He was king(N) over Jeshurun[c](O)
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
7 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!”
8 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)
9 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
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel; also in verse 26.
- Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Jacob’s spring is
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