Deuteronomy 33:7-9

Contemporary English Version

⁷The Lord will listen to you,
tribe of Judah, as you beg
to come safely home.
You fought your enemies alone;^[a]
now the Lord will help you.

⁸^(A) At Massah and Meribah Spring,^[b]
the Lord tested you,
    tribe of Levi.
You were faithful,^[c]
and so the priesthood^[d] belongs
    to the Levi tribe.
⁹Protecting Israel's agreement
    with the Lord
was more important to you
than the life of your father
    or mother,
or brothers or sisters,
    or your own children.^[e]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

33.7 beg … alone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
33.8 Massah and Meribah Spring: See Exodus 17.1-7; Numbers 20.1-13.
33.8 the Lord tested you, tribe of Levi. You were faithful: Or “the Lord tested me. I was faithful” or “the Lord tested Aaron and me. We were faithful.”
33.8 priesthood: The Hebrew text has “your thummim and your urim,” objects that were used by priests to get answers from God.
33.9 Protecting Israel's agreement … your own children: See Exodus 32.25-29.