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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.”

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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.

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