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Deuteronomy 33
Evangelical Heritage Version
Deuteronomy 33
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Blessings of Moses
33 The following is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the people of Israel before his death. 2 He said:
The Lord came from Sinai,
and from Seir he rose like the sun for them.
He was shining from Mount Paran,
and he came with ten thousand holy ones.
From his right hand a fiery law[a] flew at them.
3 Indeed, you love the peoples.
All his holy ones are in your hand.
They are seated[b] at your feet.
Each one rises after hearing your words.
4 Moses commanded a law for us
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 The Lord was King in Jeshurun,[c]
when the heads of the people gathered
together with the tribes of Israel.
6 May Reuben live and not die,
but may his men be few in number.[d]
7 Concerning Judah he said this:
Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah,
and bring him to his people.
With his own hands he fights for them,
and you will be a help against his enemies.
8 Concerning Levi he said:
Your Thummim and your Urim belong to your favored man,
whom you tested at Massah,
with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.
9 He said about his father and mother,
“I do not recognize them.”
He did not show regard for his own brother.
He did not acknowledge his own children.
Instead he protected your word,
and he guarded your covenant.
10 The Levites will teach your judgments to Jacob.
They will teach your law to Israel.
They will burn incense for you to smell.
They will offer whole offerings upon your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his strength,
and accept the work of his hands.
Cripple those who rise against him.
Prevent those who hate him from rising against him.
12 Concerning Benjamin he said:
Those loved by the Lord will dwell with him safely.
He will be a canopy over them all day.
They will rest securely against his chest.[e]
13 Concerning Joseph he said:
His land is blessed by the Lord:
blessed with the best gifts from the heavens,
blessed with dew and with the deep waters hidden below,
14 blessed with the best gifts produced by the sun,
blessed with the best gifts yielded by the seasons,
15 blessed with the best crops from the ancient mountains,
blessed with the best gifts from the everlasting hills,
16 blessed with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness,
blessed with the favor of the one who was dwelling in
the burning bush.
May all these come on the head of Joseph,
on the forehead of the one set apart from his brothers.
17 Like a firstborn bull, he has majesty,
and his horns are the horns of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the peoples,
all the peoples, to the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim.
Such are the thousands of Manasseh.
18 Concerning Zebulun he said:
Rejoice, Zebulun, when you go out.
Rejoice, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will call people to the mountain.
There they will sacrifice righteous offerings.
Indeed they will nurse on the abundance from the seas
and on the treasures hidden in the sand.
20 Concerning Gad he said:
Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad.
Like a lioness he settles down.
He tears off arms and even heads.
21 He selected the best portion for himself,
the portion reserved for the ruler.
He came with heads of the people
to carry out the righteousness of the Lord,
to carry out his judgments along with Israel.
22 Concerning Dan he said:
Dan is a lion cub.
He leaps out from Bashan.
23 Concerning Naphtali he said:
Naphtali is abounding with favor.
He is full of the blessing of the Lord.
Take possession of the west[f] and south.
24 Concerning Asher he said:
The most blessed of sons is Asher.
May he be pleasing to his brothers.
May he bathe his feet in olive oil.
25 Your door bolts are iron and bronze.
May your strength be as long-lasting as all your days.
26 There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to help you.
In his majesty he rides through the clouds.
27 The everlasting God is a dwelling place,
and his eternal arms are under you.
He drove out[g] the enemy in front of you,
and he said, “Destroy!”
28 So Israel settled down in safety.
Jacob dwelt in security
in a land of grain and fresh wine,
and, yes, its heavens dropped down dew.
29 How blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you?
You are a people saved by the Lord,
the shield who gives you help,
the sword who gives you majesty.
Your enemies will come cringing before you,
and you will trample on their high places.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 The form and the meaning of the Hebrew word eshdat are uncertain.
- Deuteronomy 33:3 Or bow down. The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain.
- Deuteronomy 33:5 Jeshurun is another name for Israel. It means the Upright One.
- Deuteronomy 33:6 Or nor let his men be few. This translation in the footnote applies the negative from the first line of the parallelism also to the second line, a phenomenon not too uncommon in Hebrew poetry.
- Deuteronomy 33:12 Literally they will dwell between his shoulders
- Deuteronomy 33:23 Or the sea
- Deuteronomy 33:27 Or will drive out. The verbs in verse 28 can also be translated as futures.
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
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.