Deuteronomy 33

1 And this [is] the blessing [with] which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death,

This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.

2 and he says: “YHWH has come from Sinai, And has risen from Seir for them; He has shone from Mount Paran, And has come [with] myriads of holy ones; At His right hand [came] a fiery law [[or a flaming fire]] for them.

He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand.

3 Indeed, He [is] loving the peoples; All His holy ones [are] in Your hand, And they sat down at Your foot, [Each] lifts up Your words.

Surely You love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand, and they sit down at Your feet; each receives Your words—

4 Moses has commanded a law for us, A possession of the assembly of Jacob.

the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.

5 And He is King in Yeshurun, In the heads of the people gathering together, The tribes of Israel!

So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together.

6 Let Reuben live, and not die, And let his men be an [incalculable] number.

Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

7 And this [is] for Judah, and he says: Hear, O YHWH, the voice of Judah, And You bring him in to his people; His hand has striven for him, And You are a help from his adversaries.

And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”

8 And of Levi he said: Your Perfections and your Lights [are] for your pious one, Whom You have tried in Massah, You strive with him at the waters of Meribah;

Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.

9 Who is saying of his father and his mother, I have not seen him; And he has not discerned his brothers, And he has not known his sons; For they have observed Your saying, And they keep Your covenant.

He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.

10 They teach Your judgments to Jacob, And Your law to Israel; They put incense in Your nose, And whole burnt-offering on Your altar.

He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel; he will set incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.

11 Bless, O YHWH, his strength, And accept the work of his hands, Strike the loins of his withstanders, And of those hating him—that they do not rise!

Bless his substance, O LORD, and accept the work of his hands. Smash the loins of those who rise against him, and of his foes so they can rise no more.”

12 Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of YHWH dwells confidently by Him, Covering him over every day; Indeed, he dwells between His shoulders.

Concerning Benjamin he said: “May the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him; God shields him all day long, and upon His shoulders he rests.”

13 And of Joseph he said: His land [is] blessed [by] YHWH, By a precious thing of the heavens, By dew, and by the deep crouching beneath,

Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath,

14 And by a precious thing—fruits of the sun, And by a precious thing—cast forth by the months,

with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons,

15 And by a chief thing—of the ancient mountains, And by a precious thing—of the continuous heights,

with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills,

16 And by a precious thing—of earth and its fullness, And the good pleasure of Him who is dwelling in the bush; Let it come for the head of Joseph, And for the crown of him [who is] separate from his brothers.

with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.

17 His splendor [is] a firstling of his ox, And his horns [are] horns of a wild ox; With them he pushes the peoples Altogether to the ends of the earth; And they [are] the myriads of Ephraim, And they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.

His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, O Zebulun, in your going out, And, O Issachar, in your tents;

Concerning Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents.

19 They call peoples [to] the mountain, There they sacrifice righteous sacrifices; For they suck up the abundance of the seas, And hidden things hidden in the sand.

They will call the peoples to a mountain; there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness. For they will feast on the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 And of Gad he said: Blessed is he who is enlarging Gad, He dwells as a lioness, And has torn the arm—also the crown!

Concerning Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges the domain of Gad! He lies down like a lion and tears off an arm or a head.

21 And he provides the first part for himself, For there the portion of the lawgiver is covered, And he comes [with] the heads of the people; He has done the righteousness of YHWH, And His judgments with Israel.

He chose the best land for himself, because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there. He came with the leaders of the people; he administered the LORD’s justice and His ordinances for Israel.”

22 And of Dan he said: Dan [is] a lion’s whelp; He leaps from Bashan.

Concerning Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out of Bashan.”

23 And of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, satisfied with pleasure, And full of the blessing of YHWH, Possess [the] west and [the] south.

Concerning Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with favor, full of the blessing of the LORD; he shall take possession of the sea and the south.”

24 And of Asher he said: Asher [is] blessed with sons, Let him be accepted by his brothers, And dipping his foot in oil.

And concerning Asher he said: “May Asher be the most blessed of sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in oil.

25 Iron and bronze [are] your shoes, And as your days—your strength.

May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and may your strength match your days.”

26 [There is] none like the God of Yeshurun, Riding the heavens to your help, And in His excellence the skies.

“There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, and the clouds in His majesty.

27 The eternal God [is] a habitation, And beneath [are] continuous arms. And He casts out the enemy from your presence and says, Destroy!

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’

28 And Israel dwells [in] confidence alone; The eye of Jacob [is] to a land of grain and wine; Also His heavens drop down dew.

So Israel dwells securely; the fountain of Jacob lives untroubled in a land of grain and new wine, where even the heavens drip with dew.

29 O your blessedness, O Israel! Who is like you? A people saved by YHWH, The shield of your help, And He who [is] the sword of your excellence! And your enemies are subdued for you, And you tread on their high places.”

Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is the shield that protects you, the sword in which you boast. Your enemies will cower before you, and you shall trample their high places.”