Deuteronomy 33
1 The following is the blessing that Moses the man of God gave to the Israelites before he died.
Now this is the blessing which Moses, the man of God, gave to the children of Israel before his death.
2 He said, The Lord came from Mount Sinai and shone on us from Mount Seir; he blazed out from Mount Paran coming with ten thousand of holy ones, holding flaming fire at his right hand.
He said, The Lord came from Sinai, dawning on them from Seir; shining out from Mount Paran, coming from Meribath Kadesh: from his right hand went flames of fire: his wrath made waste the peoples.
3 How much you love the people; you hold all the holy ones in your hand. They sit down at your feet to listen to your words:
All his holy ones are at his hand; they go at his feet; they are lifted up on his wings.
4 the law that Moses delivered to us that belongs to all the Israelites.
Moses gave us a law, a heritage for the people of Jacob.
5 The Lord became King in Israel when the people's leaders gathered, when the tribes of Israel assembled.
And there was a king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel came together.
6 To Reuben he said, “May he live and not die, but may he only have a few men.”
Let life not death be Reuben's, let not the number of his men be small.
7 To Judah he said: “Lord, please hear the cry of Judah and reunite him with his people. Even though he fights for himself, may you help him against his enemies.”
And this is the blessing of Judah: he said, Give ear, O Lord, to the voice of Judah and make him one with his people: let your hands take up his cause, and be his help against his attackers.
8 To Levi he said: “Your Thummim were given to Levi and your Urim to those dedicated to God, the ones you tested at Massah and argued with at the waters of Meribah.
And of Levi he said, Give your Thummim to Levi and let the Urim be with your loved one, whom you put to the test at Massah, with whom you were angry at the waters of Meribah;
9 Levi said that he didn't pay attention to his father and mother, that he didn't acknowledge his brothers, and that he didn't recognize his children. The Levites did what you said and kept your agreement.
Who said of his father, Who is he? and of his mother, I have not seen her; he kept himself separate from his brothers and had no knowledge of his children: for they have given ear to your word and kept your agreement.
10 They will teach your regulations to Jacob and your law to Israel. They will place incense before you, and sacrifice whole burnt offerings on your altar.
They will be the teachers of your decisions to Jacob and of your law to Israel: the burning of perfumes before you will be their right, and the ordering of burned offerings on your altar.
11 Lord, please bless what they have, and accept their service for you. Destroy those who attack them; make sure their enemies never rise again.”
Let your blessing, O Lord, be on his substance, may the work of his hands be pleasing to you: may those who take up arms against him and all who have hate for him, be wounded through the heart, never to be lifted up again.
12 To Benjamin he said: “May the one the Lord loves be kept safe and secure in the Lord. The Lord always protects him, letting him rest on his shoulders.”
And of Benjamin he said, Benjamin is the loved one of the Lord, he will be kept safe at all times; he will be covered by the Most High, resting between his arms.
13 To Joseph he said: “May the Lord bless his land with the best gifts of heaven—with the dew and water from the depths below;
And of Joseph he said, Let the blessing of the Lord be on his land; for the good things of heaven on high, and the deep waters flowing under the earth,
14 with the best crops ripened by the sun and the best produce of the seasons;
And the good things of the fruits of the sun, and the good things of the growth of the moons,
15 with the finest contributions of the ancient mountains and the best materials of the everlasting hills;
And the chief things of the oldest mountains, and the good things of the eternal hills,
16 with the best gifts of the land and everything in it, along with the appreciation of the one who was in the burning bush. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph like a crown for this prince among his brothers.
The good things of the earth and all its wealth, the good pleasure of him who was seen in the burning tree: may they come on the head of Joseph, on the head of him who was prince among his brothers.
17 He is as majestic as a firstborn bull; his horns are like those of a wild ox. He will use them to gore the nations, driving them to the ends of the earth. The horns represent the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh.”
He is a young ox, glory is his; his horns are the horns of the mountain ox, with which all peoples will be wounded, even to the ends of the earth: they are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.
18 To Zebulun he said: “Celebrate, Zebulun, in your travels and Issachar, in your tents.
And of Zebulun he said, Be glad, Zebulun, in your going out; and, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will summon the peoples to a mountain; will offer the appropriate sacrifices there. They will enjoy the rich produce of the seas and from trading on the seashores.”
They will send out the word for the people to come to the mountain, taking there the offerings of righteousness: for the store of the seas will be theirs, and the secret wealth of the sand.
20 To Gad he said: “Blessed is he who makes Gad's territory larger! Gad is like a lion lying in wait, ready to rip off an arm or a head.
Of Gad he said, A blessing be on him who makes wide the limits of Gad: he takes his rest like a she-lion, taking for himself the arm and the crown of the head.
21 He chose the best land for himself, for he was allocated a ruler's share. He met with the people's leaders; he did what the Lord said was right, following the Lord's regulations for Israel.”
He kept for himself the first part, for his was the ruler's right: he put in force the righteousness of the Lord, and his decisions for Israel.
22 To Dan he said: “Dan is a young lion that leaps out of Bashan.”
And of Dan he said, Dan is a young lion, springing out from Bashan.
23 To Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is really favored, full of the Lord's blessing. He shall take over the land to the west and south.”
And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, made glad with grace and full of the blessing of the Lord: the sea and its fishes will be his.
24 To Asher he said: “May Asher be blessed more than all the other sons; may he be favored above his brothers and bathe his feet in olive oil.
And of Asher he said, Let Asher have the blessing of children; may he be pleasing to his brothers, and let his foot be wet with oil.
25 May the bolts of your gate be strong as iron and bronze, and may you be strong all your life.”
Your shoes will be iron and brass; and as your days, so may your work be.
26 There is no one like the God of Israel, who rides across the heavens to come to help you; who rides the clouds in majesty.
No other is like the God of Jeshurun, coming on the heavens to your help, and letting his glory be seen in the skies.
27 The eternal God is your home, and he holds you up with his everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy ahead of you, and gives the order, “Destroy him!”
The God of your fathers is your safe resting-place, and under you are his eternal arms: driving out the forces of your haters from before you, he said, Let destruction overtake them.
28 As a result Israel lives in peace; Jacob has no trouble in a country of grain and new wine, where the heavens drip with dew.
And Israel is living in peace, the fountain of Jacob by himself, in a land of grain and wine, with dew dropping from the heavens.
29 How blessed you are, Israel! Is there anyone like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is the shield that protects you, the sword that gives you confidence. Your enemies will tremble before you, and you shall tread them underfoot.
Happy are you, O Israel: who is like you, a people whose saviour is the Lord, whose help is your cover, whose sword is your strength! All those who are against you will put themselves under your rule, and your feet will be planted on their high places.
