Deu 33 | LSB | STEP | Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death.

Deuteronomy 33

The Blessing of Moses

1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death. 2 And he said,

“Yahweh came from Sinai,
And He ^{▼▼Lit rose to}dawned on them from Seir;
He shone forth from Mount Paran,
And He came from the ^{▼▼Lit myriads of holiness}midst of ten thousand holy ones;
At His right hand there was ^{▼▼Or a fiery law}flashing lightning for them.
3 “Indeed, He loves ^{▼▼Lit peoples}the people;
All ^{▼▼Lit His}Your holy ones are in Your hand,
And they ^{▼▼Or lie down at Your feet}followed in Your steps;
Everyone is bearing up Your words.
4 “Moses commanded us with a law,
A possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5 “And He was king in Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people were gathered,
The tribes of Israel together.

6 “May Reuben live and not die,
Nor his men be few.”

7 And this regarding Judah; so he said,

“Hear, O Yahweh, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people.
With his hands he contended for ^{▼▼Lit him}them,
And may You be a help against his adversaries.”

8 Of Levi he said,

“Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to ^{▼▼Lit him}Your holy one,
Whom You tested at Massah,
^{▼▼ Or For}With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah;
9 Who said of his father and his mother,
‘I did not consider them’;
And he did not recognize his brothers,
Nor did he know his own sons,
For they kept Your word,
And they observed Your covenant.
10 “They shall ^{▼▼Or instruct}teach Your judgments to Jacob,
And Your law to Israel.
They shall put incense ^{▼▼Lit in Your nostrils}before You,
And whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 “O Yahweh, bless his substance,
And accept the work of his hands;
Crush the loins of those who rise up against him,
And those who hate him, so that they will not rise again.”

12 Of Benjamin he said,

“May the beloved of Yahweh dwell in security by Him,
Who shields him all the day,
And he dwells between His shoulders.”

13 Of Joseph he said,

“Blessed of Yahweh be his land,
With the choice things of heaven, with the dew,
And from the deep lying beneath,
14 And with the choice produce of the sun,
And with the choice yield of the months,
15 And with the ^{▼▼Or chief}best things of the ancient mountains,
And with the choice things of the everlasting hills,
16 And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let it come to the head of Joseph,
And to the top of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.
17 “As the firstborn of his ox, splendor is his,
And his horns are the horns of the wild ox;
With them he will push the peoples,
All ^{▼▼Or together}at once, to the ends of the earth.
And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And those are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 Of Zebulun he said,

“Be glad, Zebulun, in your going forth,
And, Issachar, in your tents.
19 “They will call peoples to the mountain;
There they will offer righteous sacrifices;
For they will ^{▼▼Lit suck}draw out the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 Of Gad he said,

“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad;
He lies down as a ^{▼▼Or lioness}lion,
And tears the arm, also the top of the head.
21 “Then he ^{▼▼Lit saw}provided the first part for himself,
For there the ruler’s portion was ^{▼▼Or covered up}reserved;
And he came with the heads of the people;
He did the righteousness of Yahweh,
And His judgments with Israel.”

22 Of Dan he said,

“Dan is a lion’s whelp,
That leaps forth from Bashan.”

23 Of Naphtali he said,

“O Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of Yahweh,
Take possession of the sea and the south.”

24 Of Asher he said,

“More blessed than sons is Asher;
May he be favored by his brothers,
And may he dip his foot in oil.
25 “Your locks will be iron and bronze,
And according to your days, so your fortitude will be.
26 “There is none like the God of ^{▼▼A poetic name for Israel, cf. 33:5, 26; Is 44:2}Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens ^{▼▼Lit in}to your help,
And through the skies in His majesty.
27 “The eternal God is a ^{▼▼Or refuge}dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from before you,
And said, ‘Destroy!’
28 “So Israel dwells in security,
The fountain of Jacob secluded,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens also drop down dew.
29 “Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh,
Who is the shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
So your enemies will cower before you,
And you will tread upon their high places.”