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Moses’s Final Blessing on Israel

33 This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites before his death.(A) He said,

“The Lord came from Sinai
    and dawned from Seir upon us;[a]
    he shone forth from Mount Paran.
With him were myriads of holy ones,[b]
    at his right, a host of his own.[c](B)
Indeed, O favorite among[d] peoples,
    all his holy ones were in your charge;
they marched at your heels,
    accepted direction from you.(C)
Moses charged us with the law
    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.(D)
There arose a king in Jeshurun
    when the leaders of the people assembled,
    the united tribes of Israel.

May Reuben live and not die out,
    even though his numbers are few.”

And this he said of Judah,

“O Lord, give heed to Judah,
    and bring him to his people;
strengthen his hands for him,[e]
    and be a help against his adversaries.”(E)

And of Levi he said,

“Give to Levi[f] your Thummim
    and your Urim to your loyal one,
whom you tested at Massah,
    with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah,(F)
who said of his father and mother,
    ‘I regard them not’;
he ignored his kin
    and did not acknowledge his children.
For they observed your word
    and kept your covenant.(G)
10 They teach Jacob your ordinances
    and Israel your law;
they place incense before you
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.(H)
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance,
    and accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
    of those who hate him, so that they do not rise again.”(I)

12 Of Benjamin he said,

“The beloved of the Lord rests in safety—
the Most High[g] surrounds him all day long—
    and he rests between his shoulders.”

13 And of Joseph he said,

“Blessed by the Lord be his land,
    with the choice gifts of heaven above
    and of the deep that lies beneath,(J)
14 with the choice fruits of the sun
    and the rich yield of the months,
15 with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
    and the abundance of the everlasting hills,(K)
16 with the choice gifts of the earth and its fullness
    and the favor of the one who dwells on Sinai.[h]
Let these come on the head of Joseph,
    on the brow of the prince among his brothers.(L)
17 A firstborn[i] bull—majesty is his!
    His horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he gores the peoples
    all together to the ends of the earth;
such are the myriads of Ephraim,
    such the thousands of Manasseh.”(M)

18 And of Zebulun he said,

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
    and Issachar, in your tents.(N)
19 They call peoples to the mountain;
    there they offer the right sacrifices,
for they suck the affluence of the seas
    and the hidden treasures of the sand.”(O)

20 And of Gad he said,

“Blessed be the enlargement of Gad!
    Like a lion he lives;
    he tears at arm and scalp.(P)
21 He chose the best for himself,
    for there a commander’s allotment was reserved;
he came at the head of the people;
    he executed the justice of the Lord
    and his ordinances with Israel.”(Q)

22 And of Dan he said,

“Dan is a lion’s whelp
    that leaps forth from Bashan.”(R)

23 And of Naphtali he said,

“O Naphtali, sated with favor,
    full of the blessing of the Lord,
    possess the west and the south.”(S)

24 And of Asher he said,

“Most blessed of sons be Asher;
    may he be the favorite of his brothers,
    and may he dip his foot in oil.(T)
25 Your bars are iron and bronze,
    and as your days, so is your strength.[j](U)

26 There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
    who rides through the heavens to your help,
    majestic through the clouds.(V)
27 He subdues the ancient gods,[k]
    shatters[l] the forces of old;[m]
he drove out the enemy before you
    and said, ‘Destroy!’(W)
28 So Israel lives in safety,
    untroubled is Jacob’s abode[n]
in a land of grain and wine,
    where the heavens drop down dew.(X)
29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
    a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help
    and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
    but you shall tread on their backs.”(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. 33.2 Gk Syr Vg Compare Tg: Heb upon them
  2. 33.2 Cn Compare Gk Sam Syr Vg: MT He came from Ribeboth-kodesh,
  3. 33.2 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 33.3 Or O lover of the
  5. 33.7 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. 33.8 Q ms Gk: MT lacks Give to Levi
  7. 33.12 Cn: Heb above him
  8. 33.16 Cn: Heb in the bush
  9. 33.17 Q ms Gk Syr Vg: MT His firstborn
  10. 33.25 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  11. 33.27 Cn: Heb The eternal God is a dwelling place
  12. 33.27 Cn: Heb from underneath
  13. 33.27 Or the everlasting arms
  14. 33.28 Or fountain

The Blessing by Moses

33 Now this is the blessing with which Moses (A)the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death. He said,

(B)The Lord came from Sinai,
(C)And [a]dawned on them from Seir;
(D)He shone from Mount Paran,
And He came from (E)the midst of myriads of [b]holy ones;
(F)At His right hand there was [c]flashing lightning for them.
(G)Indeed, He loves [d]the people;
(H)All [e]Your holy ones are in Your hand,
(I)And they [f]followed in Your steps;
Everyone takes of Your words.
(J)Moses issued to us the Law,
(K)A possession for the assembly of Jacob.
(L)And He was king in [g]Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people gathered,
The tribes of Israel together.

(M)May Reuben live and not die,
Nor may his people be few.”

(N)And this was regarding Judah; so he said:

“Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people.
With his hands he contended for [h]them,
And may You be a help against his adversaries.”

Of Levi he said,

Let Your (O)Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your (P)godly man,
(Q)Whom You tested at Massah,
With [i]whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;
(R)Who said of his father and his mother,
‘I did not consider them’;
And he did not acknowledge his brothers,
Nor did he regard his own sons,
For (S)they kept Your word,
And complied with Your covenant.
10 (T)They will teach Your ordinances to Jacob,
And Your Law to Israel.
(U)They shall put [j]incense before You,
And (V)whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 Lord, bless his strength,
And accept the work of his hands;
Smash the [k]hips of those who rise up against him,
And those who hate him, so that they do not rise again.”

12 Of Benjamin he said,

(W)May the beloved of the Lord live in security beside Him
(X)Who shields him all the day long,
(Y)And he lives between His shoulders.”

13 Of Joseph he said,

(Z)Blessed of the Lord be his land,
With the choice things of heaven, with the dew,
And from the deep waters lying beneath,
14 And with the choice yield of the sun,
And the choice produce of the months;
15 And with the [l]best things of (AA)the ancient mountains,
With the choice things of the everlasting hills,
16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor (AB)of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let it come to the head of Joseph,
And to the top of the head of the one who was prince among his brothers.
17 As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his,
And his horns are the horns of (AC)the wild ox;
With them he will (AD)gore the peoples
All [m]at once, to the ends of the earth.
And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And those are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 (AE)Of Zebulun he said,

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
And, Issachar, in your tents.
19 (AF)They will call peoples to the mountain;
There they will offer (AG)righteous sacrifices;
For they will [n]draw out (AH)the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 (AI)Of Gad he said,

“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad;
He lies down (AJ)as a [o]lion,
And tears the arm, also the crown of the head.
21 (AK)Then he [p]selected the choicest part for himself,
(AL)For there the ruler’s portion was [q]reserved;
(AM)And he came with the leaders of the people;
(AN)He executed the justice of the Lord,
And His ordinances with Israel.”

22 (AO)Of Dan he said,

“Dan is (AP)a lion’s cub;
He leaps out from Bashan.”

23 Of Naphtali he said,

(AQ)Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
Take possession of the sea and the south.”

24 (AR)Of Asher he said,

“More blessed than sons is Asher;
May he be favored by his brothers,
(AS)And may he dip his foot in olive oil.
25 (AT)Your [r]bars will be iron and bronze,
(AU)And as your days, so will your strength be.

26 (AV)There is no one like the God of [s]Jeshurun,
(AW)Who rides the heavens [t]to your help,
And the clouds in His majesty.
27 (AX)The eternal God is a [u]hiding place,
(AY)And underneath are the everlasting arms;
(AZ)And He drove out the enemy from you,
(BA)And said, ‘Destroy!’
28 (BB)So Israel lives in security,
(BC)The fountain of Jacob secluded,
(BD)In a land of grain and new wine;
(BE)His heavens also drip down dew.
29 (BF)Blessed are you, Israel;
(BG)Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
(BH)The shield of your help,
(BI)And He who is the sword of your majesty!
(BJ)So your enemies will cringe before you,
(BK)And you will trample on their high places.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit rose to
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit holiness
  3. Deuteronomy 33:2 Or a fiery law
  4. Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit peoples
  5. Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit His
  6. Deuteronomy 33:3 Or lie down at Your feet
  7. Deuteronomy 33:5 A symbolic name for Israel
  8. Deuteronomy 33:7 Lit him
  9. Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit him
  10. Deuteronomy 33:10 Lit smoke in Your nostrils
  11. Deuteronomy 33:11 Lit loins
  12. Deuteronomy 33:15 Or chief
  13. Deuteronomy 33:17 Or together
  14. Deuteronomy 33:19 Lit suck
  15. Deuteronomy 33:20 Or lioness
  16. Deuteronomy 33:21 Lit saw
  17. Deuteronomy 33:21 Lit covered
  18. Deuteronomy 33:25 I.e., to secure gates
  19. Deuteronomy 33:26 I.e., Israel
  20. Deuteronomy 33:26 Lit in
  21. Deuteronomy 33:27 Or refuge