Deuteronomy 33
1 Before God’s prophet Moses died, he [asked God to] bless the Israeli people.
This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.
2 This is what he said: “Yahweh came [and spoke] to us at Sinai [Mountain]; he [came like] [MET] the sun rises in the Edom [region] and like his light shone on us when we were [in the desert] near Paran Mountain [after we left Sinai Mountain]. He came with 10,000 angels, and there was a flaming fire at his right side.
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 Yahweh truly loves his people, and protects [MTY] all those who belong to him. So they prostrate themselves in front of him, and they listen to his instructions.
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 I gave them laws to obey, laws that would be the most precious thing that [the descendants of] Jacob owned.
Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5 So Yahweh became the king of his Israeli people when all the tribes and their leaders 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 [I say this about the tribe of] Reuben: I desire/hope that their tribe will never disappear, but they will never become numerous.
Let Reuben live and not die, but may his men be few.
7 “say this about [the tribe of] Judah: Yahweh, listen to them when they call out [for help]; and unite them with the other tribes again. Fight for them, and help them to fight against their 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 I say this about [the tribe of] Levi: Yahweh, give to those who are dedicated to you the sacred stones [that they will use to find out what you want to be done]; You tested them at a spring in the desert, a spring that they named Massah and also named Meribah [to find out if they would (remain loyal to/continue to obey) you].
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 The tribe of Levi did what you told them to do and obeyed the agreement that you [made with the Israeli people]; those laws were more important to them [HYP] than their siblings and parents and children.
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 The tribe of Levi will teach the Israeli people [DOU] your rules and regulations, and they are the ones who will burn incense and who will completely burn on the altar the offerings [that the people bring].
He teaches Jacob your decrees and Israel your law. He will put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Yahweh, bless their work and (accept/be pleased with) all that they do. Crush/Destroy all their enemies; do not enable their enemies to be able to fight against them 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 I say this about [the tribe of] Benjamin: They are the tribe that Yahweh loves; he keeps them safe. He protects them continually, and he lives among their hills [MET].
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 “say this about [the tribes of] Joseph: I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless their land by giving them rain/dew from the sky and water from deep [in the ground],
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 by giving them good fruit [ripened] by the sun and good crops at harvest time.
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 I desire/hope that very nice fruit will grow on trees in their ancient mountains/hills [DOU],
with the finest things of the ancient mountains, and with the precious things of the everlasting hills.
16 and that their land will be have many good crops, blessed by [Yahweh], the one who appeared to me in a burning bush. I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless the tribes of Joseph in all those ways, because he was the leaders of his [older] brothers [when they were in Egypt].
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 descendants of Joseph will be as strong as [SIM] a bull; [with their weapons they will wound their enemies, like] [MET] a wild ox [gores other animals] with its horns. They will force other people-groups, all of them, to be exiled to the most distant places on the earth. That is what [the descendants of the two sons of Joseph] will do, the ten thousands [of the tribe] of Ephraim and the thousands [of the tribe] 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 “say this about [the tribes of] Zebulun [and Issachar]: I desire/hope that the people of Zebulun will prosper in their travels [across the seas], and that the people of Issachar will prosper while they stay at home [and take care of their cattle and crops].
About Zebulun, Moses said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will invite people [from the other Israeli tribes] to the mountain [where they worship Yahweh], and they will offer the correct/proper sacrifices to him. They will become rich from [the work that they do on] the seas and from [the things that they make from] (OR, [find in]) the sand [on the beaches].
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 “say this about [the tribe of] Gad: Praise [Yahweh], the one who made their [territory] large. The people of their tribe [will attack their enemies fiercely] [SIM] like a lion that crouches, waiting to tear off the arm or the scalp [of some animal].
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 They chose the best part of the land for themselves; [a large share of the land], a share that should be given to a leader was allotted to them. When the leaders of the tribes of Israel [gathered together], they decided that the tribe of Gad should have a large share of the land. The tribe of Gad obeyed the commands of Yahweh and the things that he decided that they should do.
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 “say this about [the tribe] of Dan: The people of the tribe of Dan are like [SIM] a young lion; they leap from [their caves in the] Bashan [region to attack their enemies].
About Dan, Moses said: Dan is a lion cub that leaps out from Bashan.
23 “say this about [the tribe of] Naphtali: [The people of the tribe of] Naphtali have been blessed by Yahweh, who has been very kind to them; their land extends far south from Lake [Galilee].
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 “say this about [the tribe of] Asher: May Yahweh bless the descendants of Asher more than he will bless the other tribes. May he favor Asher’s descendants most of all. I desire/hope that their land will [be filled with olive trees that will] produce a lot of [IDM] [olives to make olive] 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 Their [towns will be protected by high walls with gates that have] bronze and iron bars; I desire/hope that they will be strong and secure/protected all the time that they are alive.
May your city bars be iron and bronze; as long as will be your days, so long will your security be.
26 “You people of Israel, there is no god like your God, who rides majestically across the sky to help you.
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 God, who lives forever, is the one who (gives you refuge/protects you); [it is as though] he puts his everlasting arms under you [to support you]. He will expel your enemies while you advance; he has told you to destroy all of 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 So, you Israeli people will live safely; you descendants of Jacob will not be disturbed by others; in the land where [you will live], there will be plenty of grain and wine, and there will be plenty of rain.
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 You people of Israel, Yahweh (has blessed/is pleased with) you. There is certainly [RHQ] no nation like your nation, whom Yahweh has rescued [from being slaves in Egypt]. [He will be like] [MET] a shield to protect you and like [MET] a sword to enable you to defeat [your enemies]. Your enemies will come to you begging for you [to act mercifully toward them], but you will trample on their backs/necks.”
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.
