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
International Standard Version
Moses Reviews the Tribes of Israel
33 This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelis before his death. 2 He said:
“The Lord came from Sinai.
Rising from Seir upon us,[a]
he shone forth from Mount Paran,
accompanied[b] by a myriad[c] of his holy ones,
with flaming fire from his right hand for them.
3 Indeed, lover of people,
all of his holy ones are in your control.[d]
They gather at your feet
to do as you have instructed.[e]
4 Moses commanded with the Law,
an inheritance for the community of Jacob.
5 The Lord[f] was king of Jeshurun[g]
when the leaders of the people—
all the tribes of Israel—gathered together.”
Reuben
6 “May Reuben live and not die,
though his numbers are few.”
Judah
7 He declared this about Judah:
“Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah
and return him to his people.
With his own strength he fights for himself,
and you will be of assistance[h] against[i] his enemies.”
Levi
8 About Levi he said:
“Let your Thummim and Urim[j] be with the man
to whom you showed gracious love,
whom you tested at Massah
and with whom you struggled
at the waters of Meribah,
9 the one who told his mother and father,
‘I don’t know[k] them,’
and who would neither acknowledge his brothers
nor know his own children.
For they kept your word
and guarded your covenant.
10 They will teach your ordinances to Jacob,
and your Law to Israel.
They will offer incense as a pleasant aroma to you[l]
and a whole burnt offering upon your altar.
11 Lord, bless his substance
and approve the work that he undertakes.[m]
Shatter the legs[n] of those who oppose against him;
may those who hate him stand no more.”
Benjamin
12 About Benjamin he said:
“The beloved of the Lord will live confidently,
the Most High protecting[o] him all day long,
and resting in his bosom.[p]”
Joseph
13 About Joseph he said:
“May the blessing of the Lord be on his land:
dew from the choicest of the heavens,
and from the depths beneath;
14 from the choicest products of the sun,
the rich fruit of the harvest moon,[q]
15 the choicest portion[r] of the eternal mountains,
and the best of the everlasting hills;
16 from the choicest of the earth and its fullness,
and the favor of the one who lived in the burning[s] bush.
May blessing[t] rest on Joseph’s head,
and on the crown of the head
of the one set apart from his brothers.
17 May the firstborn of his bull be honorable to him,
and may his horns be those of a wild ox.
With them may he push people all together,
to the ends of the earth.
These are the myriads[u] of Ephraim
and the thousands of Manasseh.”
Zebulun and Issachar
18 About Zebulun he said:
“Zebulun, rejoice as you go out
and Issachar, in being inside your tents.
19 They will call the nations[v] to the mountain,
and there they will offer righteous sacrifices,
for they’ll draw from the abundance of the sea
and from the hidden treasures of the sand.”
Gad
20 About Gad he said:
“Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad!
Like a roaring lion, he crouches,
tearing arm and scalp.
21 He chose the best part for himself,
when the leader’s portion was assigned.
He came at the head of the people,
carrying out the Lord’s justice
and his ordinances concerning Israel.”
Dan
22 About Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
leaping forth from Bashan.”
Naphtali
23 About Naphtali he said:
“Naphtali, full of favor and the Lord’s blessing,
take possession of the west[w] and south.”
Asher
24 About Asher he said:
“May Asher be blessed, along with his descendants,
may his brothers be pleased with him,
may he dip his feet in oil,
25 may your bolts be made of iron and bronze,
and may your strength be sufficient for each day you live.”
Israel’s Defender
26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,[x]
who rides through the heavens
with its lofty clouds to help you.
27 The God of old is a dwelling place,
with everlasting arms underneath.
He drove out your enemies before you
and said: ‘Destroy them!’
28 So Israel lives in confidence,
isolated as the fountain of Jacob
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens rain down dew.
29 How blessed are you, Israel!
Who can be like you,
a people delivered by the Lord,
your shield of help and
your finely crafted sword.
May your enemies cower before you.
You will tread down their high places.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 So LXX. MT reads them
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Lit. came or brought
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or by countless; Lit. by ten thousands
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit. hand
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Lit. to do your word
- Deuteronomy 33:5 The Heb. lacks The Lord
- Deuteronomy 33:5 I.e. a poetic term for national Israel; the Heb. name means Upright One
- Deuteronomy 33:7 So LXX. MT reads be his helper
- Deuteronomy 33:7 Lit. from
- Deuteronomy 33:8 I.e. the jewel-encrusted breastplate worn by the high priest by which the will of God could be revealed; cf. Ezra 2:63, Neh 7:65
- Deuteronomy 33:9 Lit. see
- Deuteronomy 33:10 Lit. for your nose
- Deuteronomy 33:11 Lit. work of his hands
- Deuteronomy 33:11 Or loins
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Or shading
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Lit. between his shoulders
- Deuteronomy 33:14 Lit. the month
- Deuteronomy 33:15 The Heb. lacks portion
- Deuteronomy 33:16 The Heb. lacks burning
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Lit. it
- Deuteronomy 33:17 Or the countless ones; Lit. the ten thousands
- Deuteronomy 33:19 Lit. peoples
- Deuteronomy 33:23 Or sea
- Deuteronomy 33:26 I.e. a poetic term for national Israel; the Heb. name means Upright One
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