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Deuteronomy 33:6-25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Deuteronomy 33:6-25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
6 May Reuben live and not die out,(A)
but let his numbers be few.
7 Of Judah he said this:
Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
and bring him to his people.[a]
His own hands defend his cause;
be a help against his foes.(B)
8 Of Levi he said:(C)
Give to Levi your Thummim,
your Urim[b] to your faithful one;
Him you tested at Massah,
contended against him at the waters of Meribah.(D)
9 [c]He said of his father and mother,
“I have no regard for them”;
His brothers he would not acknowledge,
and his own children he did not recognize.
For they kept your words,
and your covenant they upheld.(E)
10 (F)They teach your ordinances to Jacob,
your law to Israel.
They bring incense to your nostrils,
and burnt offerings to your altar.
11 Bless, Lord, his strength,
be pleased with the work of his hands.
Crush the loins of his adversaries
and of his foes, that they may not rise.
12 Of Benjamin he said:
The beloved of the Lord,
he abides in safety beside him;
He shelters him all day long;
the beloved abides at his breast.[d](G)
13 Of Joseph he said:(H)
Blessed by the Lord is his land
with the best of heaven above
and of the abyss crouching beneath;
14 With the best of the produce of the sun,
and the choicest yield of the months;
15 With the finest gifts of the ancient mountains
and the best from the everlasting hills;
16 With the best of the earth and its fullness,
and the favor of the one who dwells on Sinai.
Let these come upon the head of Joseph
and upon the brow of the prince among his brothers.(I)
17 His firstborn bull, majesty is his!
His horns are the horns of a wild ox;
With them he gores the peoples,
attacks the ends of the earth.
These are the myriads of Ephraim,
and these the thousands of Manasseh.
18 Of Zebulun he said:(J)
Rejoice, Zebulun, in your expeditions,
exult, Issachar, in your tents!
19 They invite peoples to the mountain
where they offer right sacrifices,
Because they suck up the abundance of the seas[e]
and the hidden treasures of the sand.
20 Of Gad he said:(K)
Blessed be the one who has made Gad so vast!
He lies there like a lion;
he tears the arm, the head as well.
21 He saw that the best should be his,
for there the commander’s portion was assigned;
he came at the head of the people.
He carried out the justice of the Lord
and his ordinances for Israel.(L)
22 Of Dan he said:
Dan is a lion’s cub,(M)
that springs away from a viper!
23 Of Naphtali he said:
Naphtali, abounding with favor,
filled with the blessing of the Lord,
take possession of the west and south.(N)
24 Of Asher he said:(O)
Most blessed[f] of sons be Asher!
May he be the favorite among his brothers,
and may he dip his foot in oil!
25 May the bolts of your gates be iron and bronze;
may your strength endure through all your days!
Footnotes
- 33:7 Bring him to his people: this probably refers to the isolated position of the tribe of Judah (cf. Jgs 1:17–19); according to some commentators the reference is to the divided kingdom.
- 33:8 Thummim…Urim: devices priests used for divination (cf. note on Ex 28:30).
- 33:9 The reference is probably to the Levites’ slaughter of other Israelites after the incident of the golden calf; cf. Ex 32:27–29.
- 33:12 Abides at his breast: an image of security under divine protection.
- 33:19 The abundance of the seas: perhaps the wealth that comes from sea trade or from fishing. The hidden treasures of the sand: possibly an allusion to the valuable purple dye extracted from certain marine shells found on the coast of northern Palestine.
- 33:24 Most blessed: Hebrew baruk; but the name Asher may suggest a play on the Hebrew ’ashre, “happy”; cf., e.g., v. 29; Ps 1:1. Oil: the land of the tribe of Asher was covered with olive groves.
Deuteronomy 33:6-25
New International Version
Deuteronomy 33:6-25
New International Version
7 And this he said about Judah:(B)
“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(C) he said:
“Your Thummim and Urim(D) belong
to your faithful servant.(E)
You tested(F) him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.(G)
9 He said of his father and mother,(H)
‘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.(I)
10 He teaches(J) your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.(K)
He offers incense before you(L)
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.(M)
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.(N)
Strike down those who rise against him,
his foes till they rise no more.”
12 About Benjamin(O) he said:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,(P)
for he shields him all day long,(Q)
and the one the Lord loves(R) rests between his shoulders.(S)”
13 About Joseph(T) he said:
“May the Lord bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;(U)
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains(V)
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.(W)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among[b] his brothers.(X)
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his horns(Y) are the horns of a wild ox.(Z)
With them he will gore(AA) the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;(AB)
such are the thousands of Manasseh.(AC)”
18 About Zebulun(AD) he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar,(AE) in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain(AF)
and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;(AG)
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,(AH)
on the treasures hidden in the sand.”
20 About Gad(AI) he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!(AJ)
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;(AK)
the leader’s portion was kept for him.(AL)
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,(AM)
and his judgments concerning Israel.”
22 About Dan(AN) he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
springing out of Bashan.”
23 About Naphtali(AO) 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(AP) he said:
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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