Deuteronomy 33
1 This is the blessing, bi which Moises, the man of God, blesside the sones of Israel bifor his deeth;
This is the blessing, with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the sons of Israel before his death.
2 and seide, The Lord cam fro Syna, and he roos to us fro Seir; he apperide fro the hil of Pharan, and thousandis of seyntis with hym; a lawe of fier in his riythond.
And he said: “The Lord went forth from Sinai, and he arose for us from Seir. He appeared from Mount Paran, and thousands of holy ones were with him. The fiery law was in his right hand.
3 He louede puplis; alle seyntis ben in his hond, and thei that neiyen to hise feet schulen take of his doctryn.
He loved the people; all the holy ones are in his hand. And those who approach his feet shall receive from his doctrine.
4 Moisis comaundide lawe `to vs, eritage of the multitude of Jacob.
Moses instructed us in the law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.
5 And the king schal be at the moost riytful, whanne princes of the puple schulen be gaderid togidere with the lynagis of Israel.
The king shall have great righteousness, at the gathering of the princes of the people with the tribes of Israel.
6 Ruben lyue, and die not, and be he litil in noumbre.
Let Ruben live, and not die, and may he be small in number.”
7 This is the blessyng of Juda; Lord, here thou the vois of Juda, and brynge in hym to his puple; hise hondis schulen fiyte for hym, and the helpere of hym schal be ayens hise aduersaries.
This is the blessing of Judah. “Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and lead him to his people. His hands shall fight for him, and he shall be his helper against his adversaries.”
8 Also he seide to Leuy, Thi perfeccioun and thi techyng is of an hooly man, whom thou preuedist in temptacioun, and demedist at the Watris of Ayenseiynge;
Likewise, to Levi he said: “Your perfection and your doctrine are for your holy man, whom you have proven by temptation, and whom you have judged at the Waters of Contradiction.
9 which Leuy seide to his fadir and to his modir, Y knowe not you, and to hise britheren, Y knowe not hem; and knewen not her sones. These kepten thi speche, and these kepten thi couenaunt; A!
He has said to his father and to his mother, ‘I do not know you,’ and to his brothers, ‘I will disregard you.’ And they have not known their own sons. Such as these have kept your word and have observed your covenant:
10 Jacob, thei kepten thi domes, and `thou, Israel, thei kepten thi lawe; thei schulen putte encense in thi strong veniaunce, and brent sacrifice on thin auter.
your judgments, O Jacob, and your law, O Israel. They shall place incense before your fury and a holocaust upon your altar.
11 Lord, blesse thou the strengthe of hym, and resseyue thou the werkis of his hondis; smyte thou the backis of hise enemyes, and thei that haten hym, rise not.
O Lord, bless his strength, and receive the works of his hands. Strike the backs of his enemies, and do not let those who hate him rise up.”
12 And he seide to Benjamyn, The moost loued of the Lord schal dwelle tristili in hym, `that is, in the Lord; he schal dwelle al day as in a chaumbur, and he schal reste bitwixe the schuldris of hym.
And to Benjamin he said: “The most beloved of the Lord will live confidently in him. He shall remain all day long, as if in a bridal chamber, and he shall rest amid her arms.”
13 Also he seide to Joseph, `His lond is of the Lordis blessyng; of the applis of heuene, and of the dewe, and of watir liggynge bynethe;
Likewise, to Joseph he said: “His land shall be from the blessing of the Lord, from the fruits of heaven, and from the dew, and from the abyss which lies below,
14 of the applis of fruytis of the sunne and moone; of the coppe of elde munteyns,
from the fruits of the crops under the sun and the moon,
15 and of the applis of euerlastynge litle hillis;
from the heights of the ancient mountains, from the fruits of the everlasting hills,
16 and of the fruytis of the lond, and of the fulnesse therof. The blessyng of hym that apperide in the busch come on the heed of Joseph, and on the cop of Nazarey, `that is, hooli, among hise britheren.
and from the fruits of the earth with all its plenitude. May the blessing of him who appeared in the bush, settle upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of the Nazarite among his brothers.
17 As the first gendrid of a bole is the feirnesse of hym; the hornes of an vnicorn ben the hornes of hym; in tho he schal wyndewe folkis, `til to the termes of erthe. These ben the multitudis of Effraym, and these ben the thousyndis of Manasses.
His excellence is like that of a first-born bull. His horns are like the horns of a rhinoceros; he shall brandish these against the Gentiles, even to the ends of the earth. These are the multitudes of Ephraim, and these the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 And he seide to Zabulon, Zabulon, be thou glad in thi goyng out, and, Ysacar, in thi tabernaclis.
And to Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, O Zebulun, in your departure, and Issachar, in your tabernacles.
19 Thei schulen clepe puplis to the hil, there thei schulen offre sacrifices of riytfulnesse; whiche schulen souke the flowing of the see as mylk, and hid tresours of grauel.
They shall summon the peoples to the mountain. There, they shall immolate the victims of justice, who feed on the flood of the sea, as if on milk, and on the hidden treasures of the sands.”
20 And he seide to Gad, Gad is blessid in broodnesse; he restide as a lioun, and he took the arm and the nol.
And to Gad he said: “Blessed is Gad in his breadth. He has rested like a lion, and he has seized the arm and the top of the head.
21 And he siy his prinshed, that `the techere was kept in his part; which Gad was with the princes of the puple, and dide the riytfulnesses of the Lord, and his doom with Israel.
And he has seen his own pre-eminence, which his teacher has stored up as his portion. He was with the princes of the people, and he accomplished the justices of the Lord, and his judgment with Israel.”
22 Also he seide to Dan, Dan, a whelp of a lioun, schal flowe largeli fro Basan.
Likewise, to Dan he said: “Dan is a young lion. He shall flow plentifully from Bashan.”
23 And he seide to Neptalym, Neptalym schal vse abundaunce, and he schal be ful with blessyngis of the Lord; and he schal welde the see and the south.
And to Naphtali he said: “Naphtali shall enjoy abundance, and he shall be full of the blessings of the Lord. He shall possess the sea and the Meridian.”
24 Also he seide to Aser, Aser, be blessid in sones, and plese he hise britheren; dippe he his foot in oile.
Likewise, to Asher he said: “Let Asher be blessed with sons. Let him be pleasing to his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Yrun and bras the scho of hym; as the dai of thi youthe so and thin eelde.
His shoe shall be of iron and of brass. As were the days of your youth, so also shall be your old age.
26 Noon other god is as the God of the moost riytful, that is, `as the God `of the puple of Israel, gouerned bi moost riytful lawe; the stiere of heuene is thin helpere; cloudis rennen aboute bi the glorie of hym.
There is no other god like the God of the most righteous one. He who rides upon the heavens is your helper. His magnificence scatters the clouds.
27 His dwellynge place is aboue, and armes euerlastynge ben bynethe; he schal caste out fro thi face the enemy, and he schal seie, Be thou al to-brokun.
His habitation is above, and the everlasting arms are below. He shall cast out the enemy before your face, and he shall say: ‘Be utterly broken!’
28 Israel schal dwelle trustili and aloone; the iye of Jacob in the lond of whete, and of wyn; and heuenes schulen be derk with dew.
Israel shall live in confidence and alone, as the eye of Jacob in a land of grain and of wine; and the heavens shall be misty with dew.
29 Blessed art thou, Israel; thou puple that art saued in the Lord, who is lijk thee? The scheld of thin help and the swerd of thi glorie is thi God; thin enemyes schulen denye thee, and thou schalt trede her neckis.
Blessed are you, O Israel. Who is like you, the people who are saved by the Lord? He is the shield of your assistance and the sword of your glory. Your enemies will refuse to acknowledge you, and so you shall tread upon their necks.”
