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 wherewith Moses, the man of God, blessed the sons 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.
And he said—Yahweh from Sinai, came near, —Yea he dawned, out of Seir, upon them, He shone forth out of Mount Paran, Yea he came out of holy myriads, —Out of his right hand [proceeded] fire to guide them.
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:
Yea he loved the tribes, All his holy ones, were in thy hand, —Yea, they, were encamped at thy feet, Each one bare away some of thy words.
4 the law that Moses delivered to us that belongs to all the Israelites.
A law, did Moses command us, —A possession, for the convocation of Jacob.
5 The Lord became King in Israel when the people's leaders gathered, when the tribes of Israel assembled.
Thus became he in, Jeshurun, a king, —When the heads of the people gathered them-selves together, As one man, the tribes of Israel. [Reuben] —
6 To Reuben he said, “May he live and not die, but may he only have a few men.”
Let Reuben live and not die, —Nor his men be easily counted.
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 for Judah, when he said, Hear, O Yahweh, the voice of Judah, That unto his own people, thou wouldst bring him home, —Let, his own hands, suffice him, And, a helper from his adversaries, do thou become.
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: Let, thy perfections and thy lights, belong unto thy man of lovingkindness, —Whom thou didst put to the proof at Massah, With whom thou didst contend over 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 saith of his father and of his mother, I behold them not, And, his own brethren, regardeth he not, And, his own sons, observeth he not, —Because they watch thy speech, That, thy covenant, they may preserve;
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.
May teach thy regulations unto Jacob, And thy law unto Israel, —May put incense in thy nostrils, And a whole-offering upon thine 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.”
Bless, O Yahweh his substance, And with the work of his hands, wilt thou be well pleased, —Crush thou the loins of them who rise up against him, And of them who hate him, that they rise not 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.”
Of Benjamin, he said, The beloved of Yahweh, shall settle down securely, —With one to throw a shade over him all the day long, Yea, between his shoulders, hath he found rest.
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, Blessed of Yahweh, be his land, —With the precious things of the heavens with the dew, And with the abyss, couching beneath;
14 with the best crops ripened by the sun and the best produce of the seasons;
And with the precious fruits of the sun, —And with the precious yield of the moons;
15 with the finest contributions of the ancient mountains and the best materials of the everlasting hills;
And with the chief of the ancient mountains, —And with the precious things of the age-abiding 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.
And with the precious things of the earth and its fulness, And with the goodwill of One who dwelt in a thorn-bush.—Let it come on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was consecrated among his brethren.
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.”
His firstborn ox, be an honour to him. And the horns of a buffalo, be his horns, With them, let him thrust, peoples, All at once, to the ends of the earth, —Yea, [with] these, the myriads of Ephraim, And, [with] those, the thousands of Manasseh.
18 To Zebulun he said: “Celebrate, Zebulun, in your travels and Issachar, in your tents.
And, of Zebulun, he said, Rejoice, Zebulun in thy going out, —And [thou], Issachar in thy 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.”
The peoples, unto the mountain, will they call, There, will they offer the sacrifices of righteousness, —For, the abundance of the seas, will they suck, Hidden treasures 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.
And, of Gad, he said: Blessed, be he that hath made room for Gad, —As a lioness, hath he laid himself down, And hath torn an arm likewise 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.”
And hath provided a first part for himself, For, there, a commander’s portion hath been hid, —So he cometh with the heads of the people, The righteousness of Yahweh, he executeth, And his regulations, with Israel.
22 To Dan he said: “Dan is a young lion that leaps out of Bashan.”
And, of Dan, he said, Dan, is a lion’s whelp, —He leapeth out of 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! satisfied with favour, And full with the blessing of Yahweh, —The west and the sunny south, do thou possess.
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, Most blessed of sons, be Asher, —Let him have the goodwill of his brethren, And let him dip, in oil, his foot:
25 May the bolts of your gate be strong as iron and bronze, and may you be strong all your life.”
Iron and bronze, be thy sandals, And, as thy days, be thy strength.
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.
There is none like GOD, O Jeshurun, —Riding upon the heavens to thy help, —And for his own majesty, on 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!”
Above, is the God of aforetime, And, beneath, are the Arms of the ages, —So he driveth before thee the foe, And doth say—Destroy!
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.
Thus hath Israel settled down securely, Alone, the fountain of Jacob, Within a land both of corn and new wine, —His heaven also droppeth down dew.
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.
How happy art thou, O Israel! Who is like unto thee, O people victorious in Yahweh? Thy helpful shield, who also is thy majestic sword, —So that thy foes come cringing unto thee, And, thou, upon their heights, dost march along.
