דברים 33
| וזאת הברכה אשר ברך משה איש האלהים--את בני ישראל לפני מותו | 1 |
Before God’s prophet Moses died, he [asked God to] bless the Israeli people.
| ויאמר יהוה מסיני בא וזרח משעיר למו--הופיע מהר פארן ואתה מרבבת קדש מימינו אשדת (אש דת) למו | 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.
| אף חבב עמים כל קדשיו בידך והם תכו לרגלך ישא מדברתיך | 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.
| תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב | 4 |
I gave them laws to obey, laws that would be the most precious thing that [the descendants of] Jacob owned.
| ויהי בישרון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד שבטי ישראל | 5 |
So Yahweh became the king of his Israeli people when all the tribes and their leaders were gathered together.
| יחי ראובן ואל ימת ויהי מתיו מספר | 6 |
[I say this about the tribe of] Reuben: I desire/hope that their tribe will never disappear, but they will never become numerous.
| וזאת ליהודה ויאמר שמע יהוה קול יהודה ואל עמו תביאנו ידיו רב לו ועזר מצריו תהיה | 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.
| וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך אשר נסיתו במסה תריבהו על מי מריבה | 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].
| האמר לאביו ולאמו לא ראיתיו ואת אחיו לא הכיר ואת בנו לא ידע כי שמרו אמרתך ובריתך ינצרו | 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.
| יורו משפטיך ליעקב ותורתך לישראל ישימו קטורה באפך וכליל על מזבחך | 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].
| ברך יהוה חילו ופעל ידיו תרצה מחץ מתנים קמיו ומשנאיו מן יקומון | 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.
| לבנימן אמר--ידיד יהוה ישכן לבטח עליו חפף עליו כל היום ובין כתפיו שכן | 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].
| וליוסף אמר מברכת יהוה ארצו ממגד שמים מטל ומתהום רבצת תחת | 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],
| וממגד תבואת שמש וממגד גרש ירחים | 14 |
by giving them good fruit [ripened] by the sun and good crops at harvest time.
| ומראש הררי קדם וממגד גבעות עולם | 15 |
I desire/hope that very nice fruit will grow on trees in their ancient mountains/hills [DOU],
| וממגד ארץ ומלאה ורצון שכני סנה תבואתה לראש יוסף ולקדקד נזיר אחיו | 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].
| בכור שורו הדר לו וקרני ראם קרניו--בהם עמים ינגח יחדו אפסי ארץ והם רבבות אפרים והם אלפי מנשה | 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.
| ולזבולן אמר שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך | 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].
| עמים הר יקראו--שם יזבחו זבחי צדק כי שפע ימים יינקו ושפני טמוני חול | 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].
| ולגד אמר ברוך מרחיב גד כלביא שכן וטרף זרוע אף קדקד | 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].
| וירא ראשית לו כי שם חלקת מחקק ספון ויתא ראשי עם--צדקת יהוה עשה ומשפטיו עם ישראל | 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.
| ולדן אמר דן גור אריה יזנק מן הבשן | 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].
| ולנפתלי אמר--נפתלי שבע רצון ומלא ברכת יהוה ים ודרום ירשה | 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].
| ולאשר אמר ברוך מבנים אשר יהי רצוי אחיו וטבל בשמן רגלו | 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.
| ברזל ונחשת מנעלך וכימיך דבאך | 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.
| אין כאל ישרון רכב שמים בעזרך ובגאותו שחקים | 26 |
“You people of Israel, there is no god like your God, who rides majestically across the sky to help you.
| מענה אלהי קדם ומתחת זרעת עולם ויגרש מפניך אויב ויאמר השמד | 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.
| וישכן ישראל בטח בדד עין יעקב אל ארץ דגן ותירוש אף שמיו יערפו טל | 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.
| אשריך ישראל מי כמוך עם נושע ביהוה מגן עזרך ואשר חרב גאותך ויכחשו איביך לך ואתה על במותימו תדרך | 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.”
