Deuteronomy 33
1 And this [is] the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.
2 And he said, The Lord is come from Sina, and has appeared from Seir to us, and has hasted out of the mount of Pharan, with the ten thousands of Cades; on his right hand [were] his angels with him.
He said: Yahweh came from Sinai and rose from Seir upon them. He shined out from Mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of holy ones. In his right hand were flashes of lightning.
3 And he spared his people, and all his sanctified ones [are] under your hands; and they are under you; and he received of his words
Indeed, he loves the peoples; all his holy ones are in your hand, and they bowed down at your feet; they received your words.
4 the law which Moses charged us, an inheritance to the assemblies of Jacob.
Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5 And he shall be prince with the beloved one, when the princes of the people are gathered together with the tribes of Israel.
Then there was a king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people had gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.
6 Let Ruben live, and not die; and let him be many in number.
Let Reuben live and not die, but may his men be few.
7 And this [is the blessing] of Juda; Hear, Lord, the voice of Juda, and do you visit his people: his hands shall contend for him, and you shall be a help from his enemies.
This is the blessing for Judah. Moses said: Listen, Yahweh, to the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people again. Fight for him; be a help against his enemies.
8 And to Levi he said, Give to Levi his manifestations, and his truth to the holy man, whom they tempted in the temptation; they reviled him at the water of strife.
About Levi, Moses said: Your Thummim and your Urim belong your loyal one, the one whom you tested at Massah, with whom you struggled at the waters of Meribah.
9 Who says to his father and mother, I have not seen you; and he knew not his brethren, and he refused to know his sons: he kept your oracles, and observed your covenant.
The man who said about his father and mother, “I have not seen them.” Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, nor did he take account of his own children. For he guarded your word and kept your covenant.
10 They shall declare your ordinances to Jacob, and your law to Israel: they shall place incense in [the time of] your wrath continually upon your altar.
He teaches Jacob your decrees and Israel your law. He will put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless, Lord, his strength, and accept the works of his hands; break the loins of his enemies that have risen up against him, and let not them that hate him rise up.
Bless, Yahweh, his possessions, and accept the work of his hands. Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, and those of the people who hate him, so that they do not rise up again.
12 And to Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in confidence, and God overshadows him always, and he rested between his shoulders.
About Benjamin, Moses said: The one loved by Yahweh lives in security beside him; Yahweh shields him all the day long, and he lives between Yahweh's arms.
13 And to Joseph he said, His land [is] of the blessing of the Lord, of the seasons of sky and dew, and of the deeps of wells below,
About Joseph, Moses said: May his land be blessed by Yahweh with the precious things of heaven, with the dew, and with the deep that lies beneath.
14 and of the fruits of the changes of the sun in season, and of the produce of the months,
May his land be blessed with the precious things of the harvest of the sun, with the precious things of the produce of the months,
15 from the top of the ancient mountains, and from the top of the everlasting hills,
with the finest things of the ancient mountains, and with the precious things of the everlasting hills.
16 and of the fullness of the land in season: and let the things pleasing to him that lived in the bush come on the head of Joseph, and on the crown [of him who was] glorified above his brethren.
May his land be blessed with the precious things of the earth and its abundance, and with the good will of him who was in the bush. Let the blessing come on the head of Joseph, and on the top of the head of him who was prince over his brothers.
17 His beauty [is as] the firstling of his bull, his horns [are] the horns of a unicorn; with them he shall thrust the nations at once, even from the end of the earth: these [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these [are] the thousands of Manasse.
The firstborn of an ox, majestic is he, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will push the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth. These are the ten thousands of Ephraim; these are the thousands of Manasseh.
18 And to Zabulon he said, Rejoice, Zabulon, in your going out, and Issachar in his tents.
About Zebulun, Moses said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They shall utterly destroy the nations, and you shall call [men] there, and there offer the sacrifice of righteousness; for the wealth of the sea shall suckle you, and so shall the marts of them that dwell by the sea-coast.
They will call the peoples to the mountains. There will they offer sacrifices of righteousness. For they will suck the abundance of the seas, and from the sand on the seashore.
20 And to Gad he said, Blessed [be] he that enlarges Gad: as a lion he rested, having broken the arm and the ruler.
About Gad, Moses said: Blessed be he who enlarges Gad. He will live there like a lioness, and he will tear off an arm or a head.
21 And he saw his first fruits, that there the land of the princes gathered with the chiefs of the people was divided; the Lord wrought righteousness, and his judgement with Israel.
He provided the best part for himself, for there was the leader's portion of land reserved. He came with the heads of the people. He carried out the justice of Yahweh and his decrees with Israel.
22 And to Dan he said, Dan [is] a lion's whelp, and shall leap out of Basan.
About Dan, Moses said: Dan is a lion cub that leaps out from Bashan.
23 And to Nephthali he said, Nephthali [has] the fulness of good things; and let him be filled with blessing from the Lord: he shall inherit the west and the south.
About Naphtali, Moses said: Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full of the blessing of Yahweh, take possession of the land to the west and south.
24 And to Aser he said, Aser [is] blessed with children; and he shall be acceptable to his brethren: he shall dip his foot in oil.
About Asher, Moses said: Blessed be Asher more than the other sons; let him be acceptable to his brothers, and let him dip his foot in olive oil.
25 His sandal shall be iron and brass; as your days, so [shall be] your strength.
May your city bars be iron and bronze; as long as will be your days, so long will your security be.
26 There is not [any such] as the God of the beloved; he who rides upon the heaven [is] your helper, and the magnificent One of the firmament.
There is no one like God, Jeshurun—the upright one, who rides through the heavens to your help, and in his majesty on the clouds.
27 And the rule of God shall protect you, and [that] under the strength of the everlasting arms; and he shall cast forth the enemy from before your face, saying, Perish.
The eternal God is a refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and he said, “Destroy!”
28 And Israel shall dwell in confidence alone on the land of Jacob, with corn and wine; and the sky [shall be] misty with dew upon you.
Israel dwelt in safety. Jacob's spring was secure in a land of grain and new wine; indeed, let his heavens drop dew on him.
29 Blessed [are] you, O Israel; who [is] like to you, O people saved by the Lord? your helper shall hold his shield over you, and [his] sword [is] your boast; and your enemies shall speak falsely to you, and you shall tread upon their neck.
Your blessings are many, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, and the sword of your majesty? Your enemies will come trembling to you; you will trample down their high places.
