< Deuteronomy 33 >
1 And this is the blessing, wherewith 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, Yhwh came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
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 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy 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 Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
Then there was a king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people had gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.
6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
Let Reuben live and not die, but may his men be few.
7 And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, Yhwh, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him 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 of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
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 said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy 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 teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine 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, Yhwh, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
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 of Benjamin he said, The beloved of Yhwh shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell 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 of Joseph he said, Blessed of Yhwh be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
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 for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
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 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
with the finest things of the ancient mountains, and with the precious things of the everlasting hills.
16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from 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 glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
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 of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
About Zebulun, Moses said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
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 of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
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 provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of Yhwh, and his judgments 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 of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
About Dan, Moses said: Dan is a lion cub that leaps out from Bashan.
23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of Yhwh: possess thou 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 of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him 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 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
May your city bars be iron and bronze; as long as will be your days, so long will your security be.
26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
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 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
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 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of grain and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
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 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by Yhwh, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
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.