Deuteronomy 33

1 Now, this, is the blessing wherewith 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 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.

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 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.

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 A law, did Moses command us, —A possession, for the convocation of Jacob.

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

5 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] —

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, —Nor his men be easily counted.

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

7 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.

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: 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;

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 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;

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 May teach thy regulations unto Jacob, And thy law unto Israel, —May put incense in thy nostrils, And a whole-offering upon thine 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 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.

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 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.

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, Blessed of Yahweh, be his land, —With the precious things of the heavens with the dew, And with the abyss, couching 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 with the precious fruits of the sun, —And with the precious yield of the moons;

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

15 And with the chief of the ancient mountains, —And with the precious things of the age-abiding hills;

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

16 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.

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 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.

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, Zebulun in thy going out, —And [thou], Issachar in thy tents:

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

19 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.

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, 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;

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 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.

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 leapeth out of 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 favour, And full with the blessing of Yahweh, —The west and the sunny south, do thou possess.

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, Most blessed of sons, be Asher, —Let him have the goodwill of his brethren, And let him dip, in oil, his foot:

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, be thy sandals, And, as thy days, be thy strength.

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

26 There is none like GOD, O Jeshurun, —Riding upon the heavens to thy help, —And for his own majesty, on the skies;

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

27 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!

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 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.

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 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.

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.”