Deuteronomy 33

1 This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.

And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death.

2 He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand.

And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them: he shone forth from mount Paran, and he came from among myriads of saints; from his right hand he gave a fiery law unto them.

3 Surely You love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand, and they sit down at Your feet; each receives Your words—

Yea, thou also lovedst the tribes; all their saints were in thy hand; and they, prostrate before thy feet, received thy words.

4 the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.

“The law which Moses commanded us, is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.”

5 So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together.

Thus became he king in Yeshurun, when the heads of the people were assembled, as one the tribes of Israel.

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

May Reuben live, and not die; and may not his men be few.

7 And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”

And this is [the blessing] of Judah, and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let the power of his hands contend for him; and be thou a help to him from his adversaries.

8 Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.

And of Levi he said, Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with thy holy man, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

9 He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.

Who said of his father and of his mother, I have not seen him; and who did not acknowledge his brothers, nor regarded his own children; for they observe thy word, and thy covenant they keep.

10 He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.

They shall teach thy ordinances unto Jacob, and thy law unto Israel: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt-sacrifice upon thy altar.

11 Bless his substance, O LORD, and accept the work of his hands. Smash the loins of those who rise against him, and of his foes so they can rise no more.”

Bless, O Lord, his substance, and receive favorably the work of his hands: crush the loins of those that rise up against him, and those that hate him, that they cannot rise again.

12 Concerning Benjamin he said: “May the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him; God shields him all day long, and upon His shoulders he rests.”

And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord [is he], he shall dwell in safety by him: he will shield him all the day long, and between his shoulders will he dwell.

13 Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath,

And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his land, through the precious gift of heaven, through the dew, and through the deep that coucheth beneath,

14 with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons,

And through the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and through the precious things put forth by the moon,

15 with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills,

And through the best things of the ancient mountains, and through the precious things of the everlasting hills,

16 with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.

And through the precious things of the earth and its fulness, and through the goodwill of him that dwelt in the thorn-bush: may this blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him that was separated from his brothers.

17 His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”

His first-born steer is adorned with glory, and his horns are like the horns of reem; with them shall he push nations together to the ends of the earth: and they are the myriads of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Menasseh.

18 Concerning Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents.

And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.

19 They will call the peoples to a mountain; there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness. For they will feast on the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

They will call the tribes unto the mountain; there will they offer sacrifices of righteousness; for they will suck the abundance of the seas, and the treasures hid in the sand.

20 Concerning Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges the domain of Gad! He lies down like a lion and tears off an arm or a head.

And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: like a lioness lieth he down, and teareth off the arm with the crown of the head.

21 He chose the best land for himself, because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there. He came with the leaders of the people; he administered the LORD’s justice and His ordinances for Israel.”

And he provided the first part for himself, because there is the field of the law-giver, of the hidden; and he went forth at the head of the people: he executed the justice of the Lord, and his judgments with Israel.

22 Concerning Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out of Bashan.”

And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp, that leapeth forth from Bashan.

23 Concerning Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with favor, full of the blessing of the LORD; he shall take possession of the sea and the south.”

And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full of the blessing of the Lord, take thou possession of the west and the south.

24 And concerning Asher he said: “May Asher be the most blessed of sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in oil.

And of Asher he said, More than [all] the children be Asher blessed: he shall be the most favored of his brethren, and bathe his foot in oil.

25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and may your strength match your days.”

Iron and copper shall be thy bolts; and as thy [younger] days so shall thy old age be.

26 “There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, and the clouds in His majesty.

There is none like unto the God of Yeshurun, who rideth to help thee upon the heavens, and in his excellency upon the skies.

27 The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’

Thy refuge is the eternal God, and here beneath, the everlasting arms; and he thrust out the enemy from before thee; and he said, Destroy.

28 So Israel dwells securely; the fountain of Jacob lives untroubled in a land of grain and new wine, where even the heavens drip with dew.

And then dwelt Israel in safety, alone, the fountain of Jacob; in a land of corn and wine; also its heavens shall drop down dew.

29 Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is the shield that protects you, the sword in which you boast. Your enemies will cower before you, and you shall trample their high places.”

Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord, the Shield of thy help, and who is the Sword of thy excellency! and thy enemies shall fawn upon thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high-places.