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Moses Blesses Israel(A)

33 Now this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death. He said:

The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir to them;
    He shone forth from Mount Paran,
and He came with ten thousands of holy ones;
    from His right hand went a fiery law[a] for them.
Surely, He loved the people;
    all His holy ones are in Your hand,
and they sit down at Your feet;
    everyone receives Your words.
Moses decreed to us a law,
    the inheritance of the assembly of Jacob.
He was king over Jeshurun,
    when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.

Let Reuben live, and not die,
    and let not his men be few.

This is the blessing to Judah. He said:

Listen, O Lord, to the voice of Judah,
    and bring him to his people;
may his hands contend for them,
    and may You help him against his enemies.

Of Levi he said:

Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your godly one,
whom You tested at Massah,
    and with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
who said to his father and to his mother,
    “I have not seen him,”
and he did not acknowledge his brothers
    or know his own children,
for they have kept Your word
    and guarded Your covenant.
10 They will teach Jacob Your judgments
    and Israel Your law.
They will put incense before You
    and the whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance,
    and accept the work of his hands;
run through the loins of them that rise against him
    and of them that hate him,
    so that they rise never again.

12 Of Benjamin he said:

The beloved of the Lord
    will dwell in safety by Him,
and the Lord will protect him all day long;
    he will dwell between His shoulders.

13 Of Joseph he said:

May his land be blessed of the Lord,
    from the harvest of the heavens,
    by the dew,
    and by the deep crouching beneath,
14 by the precious fruits brought forth by the sun,
    and by the choice things put forth by the moon,
15 by the finest things of the ancient mountains,
    and by the choice things of the everlasting hills,
16 by the best things of the earth and its fullness,
    and by the goodwill of Him who dwelt in the bush.
May the blessing rest on the head of Joseph,
    on top of the head of him who was separated from his brothers.
17 His glory is like the firstborn of his bull,
    and his horns are like the horns of a wild ox;
with them he will push the peoples together to the ends of the earth;
they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
    and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

18 Of Zebulun he said:

Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going outside,
    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
    and the treasures hid in the sand.

20 Of Gad he said:

Blessed be he who enlarges Gad;
    he dwells as a lion
    and tears an arm and the crown of a head.
21 He provided the first part for himself,
    because there, in a portion of the ruler, he was seated.
He came with the heads of the people.
    He executed the justice of the Lord,
    and His ordinances with Israel.

22 Of Dan he said:

Dan is a lion’s whelp;
    he will leap forth from Bashan.

23 Of Naphtali he said:

O Naphtali, satisfied with favor
    and full with the blessing of the Lord,
    possess the west and the south.

24 Of Asher he said:

May Asher be blessed with children;
    may he be acceptable to his brothers,
    and may he dip his foot in oil.[b]
25 Your sandals will be iron and brass;
    according to your days, so shall be your strength.

26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
    who rides through the heavens to help you,
    and in His majesty through the skies.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
    and underneath you are the everlasting arms;
He will drive out the enemy before you,
    and will say, “Destroy them.”
28 Israel dwells in safety;
    the fountain of Jacob will be secluded
in a land of grain and new wine;
    its heavens will rain down dew.
29 Blessed are you, O Israel!
    Who is like you,
    a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help,
    who is the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies will cringe before you,
    and you will tread upon their high places.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Or flashing lightning.
  2. Deuteronomy 33:24 A metaphor depicting prosperity.

Moses Blesses the Tribes(A)

33 This is the blessing(B) that Moses the man of God(C) pronounced on the Israelites before his death. He said:

“The Lord came from Sinai(D)
    and dawned over them from Seir;(E)
    he shone forth(F) from Mount Paran.(G)
He came with[a] myriads of holy ones(H)
    from the south, from his mountain slopes.[b]
Surely it is you who love(I) the people;
    all the holy ones are in your hand.(J)
At your feet they all bow down,(K)
    and from you receive instruction,
the law that Moses gave us,(L)
    the possession of the assembly of Jacob.(M)
He was king(N) over Jeshurun[c](O)
    when the leaders of the people assembled,
    along with the tribes of Israel.

“Let Reuben live and not die,
    nor[d] his people be few.”(P)

And this he said about Judah:(Q)

“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!”

About Levi(R) he said:

“Your Thummim and Urim(S) belong
    to your faithful servant.(T)
You tested(U) him at Massah;
    you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.(V)
He said of his father and mother,(W)
    ‘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.(X)
10 He teaches(Y) your precepts to Jacob
    and your law to Israel.(Z)
He offers incense before you(AA)
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.(AB)
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
    and be pleased with the work of his hands.(AC)
Strike down those who rise against him,
    his foes till they rise no more.”

12 About Benjamin(AD) he said:

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,(AE)
    for he shields him all day long,(AF)
    and the one the Lord loves(AG) rests between his shoulders.(AH)

13 About Joseph(AI) he said:

“May the Lord bless his land
    with the precious dew from heaven above
    and with the deep waters that lie below;(AJ)
14 with the best the sun brings forth
    and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains(AK)
    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.(AL)
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
    on the brow of the prince among[e] his brothers.(AM)
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
    his horns(AN) are the horns of a wild ox.(AO)
With them he will gore(AP) the nations,
    even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;(AQ)
    such are the thousands of Manasseh.(AR)

18 About Zebulun(AS) he said:

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
    and you, Issachar,(AT) in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountain(AU)
    and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;(AV)
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,(AW)
    on the treasures hidden in the sand.”

20 About Gad(AX) he said:

“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!(AY)
    Gad lives there like a lion,
    tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;(AZ)
    the leader’s portion was kept for him.(BA)
When the heads of the people assembled,
    he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,(BB)
    and his judgments concerning Israel.”

22 About Dan(BC) he said:

“Dan is a lion’s cub,
    springing out of Bashan.”

23 About Naphtali(BD) 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(BE) he said:

“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
    let him be favored by his brothers,
    and let him bathe his feet in oil.(BF)
25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,(BG)
    and your strength will equal your days.(BH)

26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,(BI)
    who rides(BJ) across the heavens to help you(BK)
    and on the clouds(BL) in his majesty.(BM)
27 The eternal(BN) God is your refuge,(BO)
    and underneath are the everlasting(BP) arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,(BQ)
    saying, ‘Destroy them!’(BR)
28 So Israel will live in safety;(BS)
    Jacob will dwell[f] secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
    where the heavens drop dew.(BT)
29 Blessed are you, Israel!(BU)
    Who is like you,(BV)
    a people saved by the Lord?(BW)
He is your shield and helper(BX)
    and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
    and you will tread on their heights.(BY)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel; also in verse 26.
  4. Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
  5. Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
  6. Deuteronomy 33:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Jacob’s spring is