Deuteronomy 33

Blessings of Moses on Israel

33Now^a this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites^b before^c his death.

²Then^d he said,

“Yahweh came from Sinai,

and he dawned upon them from Seir;

he shone forth from Mount Paran,

and he came with myriads of holy ones,

at his right hand a fiery law for them.^e

³Moreover,^f he loves his people,^g

all the holy ones were in your hand,

and they bowed down to^h your feet,

each one accepted directions from you.ⁱ

⁴A law Moses instructed for us,

as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

⁵And then a king arose in Jeshurun,

at the gathering of the leaders of the people,

united were the tribes of Israel.^j

⁶“May Reuben live, and may he not die,

and let his number not be few.”^k

⁷And he said this of Judah,^l

“Hear, O Yahweh, the voice of Judah,

and bring him to his people;

his own hands strive^m for him,

and may you be a help againstⁿ his foes.”

⁸And of Levi he said,

“Your Thummim and your Urim

are for your faithful one,^o

whom you tested at Massah;^p

you contended with him

at the waters of Meribah.

⁹The one saying of his father and of his mother,

‘I have not regarded them,’

and his brothers he did not acknowledge,

and his children^q he did not know,

but rather they observed your word,

and your covenant they kept.

¹⁰They taught^r your regulations to Jacob,

and your law to Israel;

they placed incense smoke before you,^s

and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

¹¹Bless, O Yahweh, his substance,

and with the work of his hands you must be pleased;

smite the loins of those who attack him,

and those hating him, so that they cannot arise.”^t

¹²Of Benjamin he said,

“The beloved of Yahweh dwells securely,^u

the Most High^v shields all around him,

all the day,

and between his shoulders he dwells.”

¹³And of Joseph he said,

“Blessed by Yahweh is his land,

with^w the choice things of heaven,

with^x dew, and with^y the deep lying down beneath,

¹⁴and with^z the choice things of the fruits^a of the the sun,

and with the choice things of the yield of the seasons,^b

¹⁵and with^c the finest things of the ancient mountains,

and with^d the choice things of the eternal hills,^e

¹⁶and with^f the choice things of the earth and its fullness,

and the favor of the one who dwelt^g in the bush.^h

Let them come to the head of Joseph,

and to the crown of the prince among his brothers.

¹⁷As the firstborn of his ox, majesty belongs to him,ⁱ

and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;

with them he drives people together,^j

and they are the myriads of Ephraim,

and they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

¹⁸And of Zebulun he said,

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,

and rejoice, Issachar, in your tents;

¹⁹They summon people to the mountains;^k

there they sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousness,

because the affluence of the seas they suck out,

and the most hidden treasures of the sand.”^l

²⁰And of Gad he said,

“Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad;^m

like a lion he dwells,

and he tears an arm as well as a scalp.

²¹And he selectedⁿ the best part for himself, ^o

for there the portion of a ruler is included,

and he came with the heads of the people;^p

he did^q the righteousness of Yahweh,

and his regulations for Israel.”

²²And of Dan he said,

“Dan is a cub of a lion;

he leaps from Bashan.”^r

²³And of Naphtali, he said,

“Oh, Naphtali, sated of favor,

and full of the blessing of Yahweh;

take possession of the lake,

and the land to the south.”

²⁴And of Asher he said,

“Blessed more than sons^s is Asher;

may he be the favorite^t of his brothers,

dipping his feet in the oil.^u

²⁵Your bars are^v iron and bronze,

and as your days, so is^w your strength.”

²⁶“There is no one like God, O, Jeshurun,

who rides through the heavens to your help,

and with his majesty through the skies.

²⁷The God of ancient time^x is a hiding place,

and underneath are the arms of eternity,^y

and he drove out from before^z you your enemy,

and he said, ‘Destroy them!’

²⁸So Israel dwells alone and carefree,

the spring of Jacob in a land of grain and wine;

his heavens even drip dew.

²⁹Blessed are you, O Israel.

Who is like you, a people who is saved by Yahweh,

the shield of your help,

and who is the sword of your triumph,

and your enemies, they shall fawn before you,^a

and you shall tread on their backs.”