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, 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.
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, thou also lovedst the tribes; all their saints were in thy hand; and they, prostrate before thy feet, received 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 “The law which Moses commanded us, is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.”
Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5 Thus became he king in Yeshurun, when the heads of the people were assembled, as one 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 May Reuben live, and not die; and may 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, 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.
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, 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;
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 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.
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 thy ordinances unto Jacob, and thy law unto Israel: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt-sacrifice upon thy 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, 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.
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 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.
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 the Lord be his land, through the precious gift of heaven, through the dew, and through 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 through the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and through 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 through the best things of the ancient mountains, and through the precious things of the everlasting hills,
with the finest things of the ancient mountains, and with the precious things of the everlasting hills.
16 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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: like a lioness lieth he down, and teareth off 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 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.
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, that leapeth forth 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 favor, and full of the blessing of the Lord, take thou possession of 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, More than [all] the children be Asher blessed: he shall be the most favored of his brethren, and bathe 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 Iron and copper shall be thy bolts; and as thy [younger] days so shall thy old age 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 Yeshurun, who rideth to help thee upon the heavens, and in his excellency upon the skies.
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 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.
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 then dwelt Israel in safety, alone, the fountain of Jacob; in a land of corn and wine; also its 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 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.
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.
