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Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

33 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 dawned from Se′ir upon us;[a]
    he shone forth from Mount Paran,
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
    with flaming fire[b] at his right hand.
Yea, he loved his people;[c]
    all those consecrated to him were in his[d] hand;
so they followed[e] in thy steps,
    receiving direction from thee,
when Moses commanded us a law,
    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
Thus the Lord became king in Jesh′urun,
    when the heads of the people were gathered,
    all the tribes of Israel together.

“Let Reuben live, and not die,
    nor let his men be few.”

And this he said of Judah:

“Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah,
    and bring him in to his people.
With thy hands contend[f] for him,
    and be a help against his adversaries.”

And of Levi he said,

“Give to Levi[g] thy Thummim,
    and thy Urim to thy godly one,
whom thou didst test at Massah,
    with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Mer′ibah;
who said of his father and mother,
    ‘I regard them not’;
he disowned his brothers,
    and ignored his children.
For they observed thy word,
    and kept thy covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob thy ordinances,
    and Israel thy law;
they shall put incense before thee,
    and whole burnt offering upon thy altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance,
    and accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
    of those that hate him, that they rise not again.”

12 Of Benjamin he said,

“The beloved of the Lord,
    he dwells in safety by him;
he encompasses him all the day long,
    and makes his dwelling between his shoulders.”

13 And of Joseph he said,

“Blessed by the Lord be his land,
    with the choicest gifts of heaven above,[h]
    and of the deep that couches beneath,
14 with the choicest fruits of the sun,
    and the rich yield of the months,
15 with the finest produce of the ancient mountains,
    and the abundance of the everlasting hills,
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fulness,
    and the favor of him that dwelt in the bush.
Let these come upon the head of Joseph,
    and upon the crown of the head of him that is prince among his brothers.
17 His firstling bull has majesty,
    and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he shall push the peoples,
    all of them, to the ends of the earth;
such are the ten thousands of E′phraim,
    and such are the thousands of Manas′seh.”

18 And of Zeb′ulun he said,

“Rejoice, Zeb′ulun, in your going out;
    and Is′sachar, in your tents.
19 They shall call peoples to their mountain;
    there they offer right sacrifices;
for they suck the affluence of the seas
    and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 And of Gad he said,

“Blessed be he who enlarges Gad!
    Gad couches like a lion,
    he tears the arm, and the crown of the head.
21 He chose the best of the land for himself,
    for there a commander’s portion was reserved;
and he came to the heads of the people,
    with Israel he executed the commands
    and just decrees of the Lord.”

22 And of Dan he said,

“Dan is a lion’s whelp,
    that leaps forth from Bashan.”

23 And of Naph′tali he said,

“O Naph′tali, satisfied with favor,
    and full of the blessing of the Lord,
    possess the lake and the south.”

24 And of Asher he said,

“Blessed above sons be Asher;
    let him be the favorite of his brothers,
    and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your bars shall be iron and bronze;
    and as your days, so shall your strength be.

26 “There is none like God, O Jesh′urun,
    who rides through the heavens to your help,
    and in his majesty through the skies.
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place,
    and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you,
    and said, Destroy.
28 So Israel dwelt in safety,
    the fountain of Jacob alone,
in a land of grain and wine;
    yea, his heavens drop down dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
    a people saved by the Lord,
the shield of your help,
    and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you;
    and you shall tread upon their high places.”

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 33:2 Gk Syr Vg: Heb them
  2. Deuteronomy 33:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  3. Deuteronomy 33:3 Gk: Heb peoples
  4. Deuteronomy 33:3 Heb thy
  5. Deuteronomy 33:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  6. Deuteronomy 33:7 Cn: Heb with his hands he contended
  7. Deuteronomy 33:8 Gk: Heb lacks Give to Levi
  8. Deuteronomy 33:13 Two Heb Mss and Tg: Heb with the dew

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