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Deuteronomy 33
EasyEnglish Bible
Deuteronomy 33
EasyEnglish Bible
The last words of Moses
33 Before his death, God's servant Moses spoke this blessing to all the Israelites. 2 He said this:
‘The Lord came from Sinai.
He appeared to his people
like the sun that rises over the hills of Edom.
He shone on his people from Mount Paran.
Thousands of angels came with him.
In his right hand, he held his Law that burned with fire.
3 Yes, the Lord loves his people.
He takes care of all his holy people.
They sit near to him and they listen to his teaching.
4 Moses gave us the Lord's teaching.
It is very valuable to us, the descendants of Jacob.
5 When the leaders of the people and all the tribes met together,
the Lord became king of Israel.[a]
6 I pray this for the tribe of Reuben:
May they continue to live and have many descendants.
7 I pray this for the tribe of Judah:
Lord, please listen to their prayers for help.
May they join again with the other tribes.
Please make them strong,
so that they can fight against their enemies.
8 I pray this for the tribe of Levi:
Lord, your Urim and Thummim belong to your faithful servants, the Levites.
You tested them at Massah.
You argued with them at the springs of water at Meribah.[b]
9 The Levites left their own families
so that they could serve you well.
They obeyed your word.
They were faithful to your covenant.
10 They teach your rules and your laws to Jacob's descendants, the Israelites.
They offer incense to you, as a sweet smell.
They burn offerings on your altar.
11 Lord, please bless their work.
May everything that they do give you pleasure.
Knock down anyone who attacks them.
Destroy all their enemies completely.
12 I pray this for the tribe of Benjamin:
The Lord loves the tribe of Benjamin.
They will live with him and they will be safe.
The Lord protects them all the time.
He keeps them near to him.
13 I pray this for the tribe of Joseph:
Lord, please bless their land.
Send rain from the sky above,
and springs of water from under the ground.
14 May the sun give them a good harvest of food,
with the best crops every month.
15 May they have a harvest of good fruits
from the mountains and hills that have been there since long ago.
16 Please fill their land with many good things.
Lord who appeared in the burning bush,
please be kind to them.
Please bless Joseph's descendants.
He became a leader, separate from his brothers.
May this blessing be like a crown on his head!
17 Joseph is as strong as a bull.
He has horns like a wild ox.
Those two horns are the armies of Ephraim and Manasseh![c]
With them, he attacks other nations.
He chases them to the edges of the world.
18 I pray this for the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar:
Be happy, Zebulun's people, as you travel far from home.
Be happy, Issachar's people, as you live in your homes.
19 They will call other people to come to their mountain.
They will offer the right sacrifices there.
They will become rich from their work on the seas,
and from things that are hidden in the sand on the shore.
20 I pray this for the tribe of Gad:
Praise the Lord, who will give more land to Gad's people!
Gad lives there like a hungry lion.
He will tear off the arm or the head of his enemies.
21 He has chosen the best part of the land for himself.
When Israel's leaders met together,
Gad's tribe received the land that a leader deserves.
Gad's people obeyed the Lord's good laws.
They obeyed the Lord's commands for Israel.
22 I pray this for the tribe of Dan:
Dan's tribe is like a young lion.
They jump out from Bashan to attack their enemies.
23 I pray this for the tribe of Naphtali:
The Lord has blessed Naphtali's tribe very much.
He has been very kind to them.
Land in the west and in the south will belong to them.
24 I pray this for the tribe of Asher:
May the Lord bless Asher's tribe more than the other tribes.
May their brothers be pleased with them.
May Asher's people be rich enough to wash their feet in olive oil.
25 They will use iron and bronze to make the gates of their towns strong.
May they be strong for as long as they live.
26 Israelites, there is no god like your God.[d]
He rides across the sky to help you.
He travels with great authority on the clouds.
27 He is the God who lives for ever.
He is the safe place where you can hide.
His strong arms are always there, to hold you safely.
He will chase away your enemies as you attack them.
He says to you, “Destroy them!”
28 So Israel's people can now live safely.
Jacob's descendants have a safe place to live.
They have a land that will give them grain and wine.
Rain falls from the sky to make the ground wet.
29 Israelites, how happy you are!
There is no other nation like you.
The Lord himself has rescued you.
He is the one who keeps you safe, like a soldier's shield.
He is like a sword that you use to win against your enemies.
Your enemies will fall down with fear in front of you.
You will walk all over them.’
Footnotes
- 33:5 Israel is here called by a special name, ‘Jeshurun’.
- 33:8 See Exodus 17:7.
- 33:17 Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph's two sons. They each became separate tribes.
- 33:26 The Israelites are here called by a special name, ‘Jeshurun’.
Deuteronomy 33
New International Version
Deuteronomy 33
New International Version
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. 2 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]
3 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,
4 the law that Moses gave us,(L)
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.(M)
5 He was king(N) over Jeshurun[c](O)
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
7 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!”
8 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)
9 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)”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Or from
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel; also in verse 26.
- Deuteronomy 33:6 Or but let
- Deuteronomy 33:16 Or of the one separated from
- Deuteronomy 33:28 Septuagint; Hebrew Jacob’s spring is
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