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33 ¶ And this is the blessing, with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death.

And he said, The LORD came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of holiness, at his right hand the law of fire for them.

Yea, he loved the peoples; all his saints are in thy hand; they also united at thy feet; they received thy words.

Moses commanded us law as inheritance unto the congregation of Jacob.

And he was king in Jeshurun when the heads of the people, the tribes of Israel, were gathered together as one.

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

And this blessing is for Judah, and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people; let his hands be sufficient for him, and be thou a help to him from his enemies.

¶ And to Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah,

who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen them; neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor know his own children; therefore, they shall keep thy word and guard thy covenant.

10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments and Israel thy law; they shall put incense before thy nostrils and a perfect sacrifice upon thine altar.

11 Bless, O LORD, his ministry, {Heb. men of valour} and take pleasure in the work of his hands; smite through the loins of those that rise up against him and of those that hate him that they may never rise again.

12 ¶ And to Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.

13 And to Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD is his land, for the gifts of the heavens, for the dew, and for the deep that is stretched out beneath,

14 and for the gifts of the fruits of the sun and for the gifts of the influence of the moon,

15 and for the summit of the ancient mountains and for the gifts of the everlasting hills,

16 and for the gifts of the earth and fullness thereof, and may the grace of him that dwelt in the bush come upon the head of Joseph and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

17 His beauty is like the firstborn of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; these are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.

18 ¶ And to Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and thou, Issachar, in thy tents.

19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; therefore they shall suck the abundance of the seas and hidden treasures of the sand.

20 And to Gad he said, Blessed is he that caused Gad to be enlarged; he shall dwell as a lion and shall tear the arm with the crown of the head.

21 And he saw the best for himself because there the portion of the lawgiver was enclosed; and he came at the head of the people; he shall execute the righteousness of the LORD and his judgments with Israel.

22 ¶ And to Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp; he shall leap from Bashan.

23 And to Naphtali he said, Naphtali, filled with grace and full of the blessing of the LORD, shall inherit the west and the Negev.

24 And to Asher he said, Asher, more blessed than the sons, shall be acceptable unto his brethren and shall dip his foot in oil.

25 Thy locks shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

26 There is no other like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rides upon the heavens for thy help, in the clouds with his excellency.

27 The habitation of God is eternal, and underneath the everlasting arms; he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say, Destroy them.

28 Then Israel, the fountain of Jacob, shall dwell in safety alone in a land of grain and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

29 Blessed art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help and the sword of thy excellency? Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

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)

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