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 from Seir unto them; He shined forth from mount Paran, And he came from the ten thousands of holy ones: At his right hand was 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, he loveth the peoples; 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, An inheritance for the assembly 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 were gathered, All the tribes of Israel 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; Yet let 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 in unto his people: With his hands he contended for himself; And thou shalt be an help against 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 godly one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, 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; Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, Nor knew he his own children: For they have observed thy word, And keep 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 offering 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, LORD, his substance, And accept the work of his hands: Smite through the loins of them that rise up 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 Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; He covereth him all the day long, And he dwelleth 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 the LORD 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 things of the fruits of the sun, And for the precious things of the growth of the moons,

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 everlasting 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 the fulness thereof, And the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: Let [the blessing] come upon the head of Joseph, And upon the crown of the head of him that was separate 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 The firstling of his bullock, majesty is his; And his horns are the horns of the wild-ox: With them he shall push the peoples all of them, [even] 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 peoples unto the mountain; There shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness: For they shall suck the abundance of the seas, And the hidden treasures of 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 lioness, And teareth the arm, yea, 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, For there was the lawgiver’s portion reserved; And he came [with] the heads 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 favour, And full with the blessing of the LORD: 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, Blessed be Asher with children; Let him be acceptable unto 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 bars 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 God, O Jeshurun, Who rideth upon the heaven for thy help, And in his excellency on 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 The eternal God is [thy] dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms: And he thrust out the enemy from before thee, And 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 Israel dwelleth in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of corn and wine; Yea, his heavens 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, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of thy help, And that is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall submit themselves 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.