Deuteronomy 33
World English Bible
33 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 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]
3 Yes, he loves the people.
All his saints are in your hand.
They sat down at your feet.
Each receives your words.
4 Moses commanded us a law,
an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5 He was king in Jeshurun,
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.
6 “Let Reuben live, and not die;
Nor let his men be few.”
7 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.”
8 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.
9 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.”
Deuteronomy 33
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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) 2 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)
3 Indeed, O favorite among[d] peoples,
all his holy ones were in your charge;
they marched at your heels,
accepted direction from you.(C)
4 Moses charged us with the law
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.(D)
5 There arose a king in Jeshurun
when the leaders of the people assembled,
the united tribes of Israel.
6 May Reuben live and not die out,
even though his numbers are few.”
7 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)
8 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)
9 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)
Footnotes
- 33.2 Gk Syr Vg Compare Tg: Heb upon them
- 33.2 Cn Compare Gk Sam Syr Vg: MT He came from Ribeboth-kodesh,
- 33.2 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 33.3 Or O lover of the
- 33.7 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 33.8 Q ms Gk: MT lacks Give to Levi
- 33.12 Cn: Heb above him
- 33.16 Cn: Heb in the bush
- 33.17 Q ms Gk Syr Vg: MT His firstborn
- 33.25 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 33.27 Cn: Heb The eternal God is a dwelling place
- 33.27 Cn: Heb from underneath
- 33.27 Or the everlasting arms
- 33.28 Or fountain
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