Deuteronomii 33
1 Haec est benedictio, qua benedixit Moyses, homo Dei, filiis Israel ante mortem suam.
Before God’s prophet Moses died, he [asked God to] bless the Israeli people.
2 Et ait: Dominus de Sinai venit, et de Seir ortus est nobis: apparuit de monte Pharan, et cum eo sanctorum millia. In dextera eius ignea lex.
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.
3 Dilexit populos, omnes sancti in manu illius sunt: et qui appropinquant pedibus eius, accipient de doctrina illius.
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.
4 Legem praecepit nobis Moyses, hereditatem multitudinis Iacob.
I gave them laws to obey, laws that would be the most precious thing that [the descendants of] Jacob owned.
5 Erit apud rectissimum rex, congregatis principibus populi cum tribubus Israel.
So Yahweh became the king of his Israeli people when all the tribes and their leaders were gathered together.
6 Vivat Ruben, et non moriatur, et sit parvus in numero.
[I say this about the tribe of] Reuben: I desire/hope that their tribe will never disappear, but they will never become numerous.
7 Haec est Iudae benedictio: Audi Domine vocem Iudae, et ad populum suum introduc eum: manus eius pugnabunt pro eo, et adiutor illius contra adversarios eius erit.
“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.
8 Levi quoque ait: Perfectio tua, et doctrina tua viro sancto tuo, quem probasti in tentatione, et iudicasti ad Aquas contradictionis.
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].
9 Qui dixit patri suo, et matri suae: Nescio vos; et fratribus suis: Ignoro vos: et nescierunt filios suos. Hi custodierunt eloquium tuum, et pactum tuum servaverunt,
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.
10 iudicia tua o Iacob, et legem tuam o Israel: ponent thymiama in furore tuo, et holocaustum super altare tuum.
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].
11 Benedic Domine fortitudini eius, et opera manuum illius suscipe. Percute dorsa inimicorum eius: et qui oderunt eum, non consurgant.
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.
12 Et Beniamin ait: Amantissimus Domini habitabit confidenter in eo: quasi in thalamo tota die morabitur, et inter humeros illius requiescet.
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].
13 Ioseph quoque ait: De benedictione Domini terra eius, de pomis caeli, et rore, atque abysso subiacente.
“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],
14 De pomis fructuum solis ac lunae.
by giving them good fruit [ripened] by the sun and good crops at harvest time.
15 de vertice antiquorum montium, de pomis collium aeternorum:
I desire/hope that very nice fruit will grow on trees in their ancient mountains/hills [DOU],
16 et de frugibus terrae, et de plenitudine eius. Benedictio illius, qui apparuit in rubo, veniat super caput Ioseph, et super verticem nazaraei inter fratres suos.
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].
17 Quasi primogeniti tauri pulchritudo eius, cornua rhinocerotis cornua illius: in ipsis ventilabit Gentes usque ad terminos terrae. hae sunt multitudines Ephraim: et haec millia Manasse.
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.
18 Et Zabulon ait: Laetare Zabulon in exitu tuo, et Issachar in tabernaculis tuis.
“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].
19 Populos vocabunt ad montem: ibi immolabunt victimas iustitiae. Qui inundationem maris quasi lac sugent, et thesauros absconditos arenarum.
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].
20 Et Gad ait: Benedictus in latitudine Gad: quasi leo requievit, cepitque brachium et verticem.
“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].
21 Et vidit principatum suum, quod in parte sua doctor esset repositus: qui fuit cum principibus populi, et fecit iustitias Domini, et iudicium suum cum Israel.
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.
22 Dan quoque ait: Dan catulus leonis, fluet largiter de Basan.
“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].
23 Et Nephthali dixit: Nephthali abundantia perfruetur, et plenus erit benedictionibus Domini: mare et meridiem possidebit.
“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].
24 Aser quoque ait: Benedictus in filiis Aser, sit placens fratribus suis, et tingat in oleo pedem suum.
“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.
25 Ferrum et aes calceamentum eius. Sicut dies iuventutis tuae, ita et senectus tua.
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.
26 Non est Deus alius ut Deus rectissimi: ascensor caeli auxiliator tuus. Magnificentia eius discurrunt nubes,
“You people of Israel, there is no god like your God, who rides majestically across the sky to help you.
27 habitaculum eius sursum, et subter brachia sempiterna: eiiciet a facie tua inimicum, dicetque: Conterere.
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.
28 Habitabit Israel confidenter, et solus. Oculus Iacob in terra frumenti et vini, caelique caligabunt rore.
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.
29 Beatus es tu Israel: quis similis tui popule, qui salvaris in Domino? scutum auxilii tui, et gladius gloriae tuae: negabunt te inimici tui, et tu eorum colla calcabis.
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.”
