Deuteronomy 33:1–29
33 This is the blessingd that Moses the man of Gode pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:
“The Lord came from Sinaif
and dawned over them from Seir;g
he shone forthh from Mount Paran.i
He came witha myriads of holy onesj
from the south, from his mountain slopes.b
3 Surely it is you who lovek the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.l
At your feet they all bow down,m
and from you receive instruction,
4 the law that Moses gave us,n
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.o
5 He was kingp over Jeshurunc q
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
6 “Let Reuben live and not die,
7 And this he said about Judah:s
“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!”
8 About Levit he said:
“Your Thummim and Urimu belong
to your faithful servant.v
You testedw him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.x
9 He said of his father and mother,y
‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.z
10 He teachesa your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.b
He offers incense before youc
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.d
11 Bless all his skills, Lord,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.e
Strike down those who rise against him,
his foes till they rise no more.”
12 About Benjaminf he said:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,g
for he shields him all day long,h
and the one the Lord lovesi rests between his shoulders.j”
13 About Josephk he said:
“May the Lord bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;l
14 with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountainsm
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.n
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince amonge his brothers.o
17 In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his hornsp are the horns of a wild ox.q
With them he will gorer the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;s
such are the thousands of Manasseh.t”
18 About Zebulunu he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar,v in your tents.
19 They will summon peoples to the mountainw
and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;x
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,y
on the treasures hidden in the sand.”
20 About Gadz he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!a
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21 He chose the best land for himself;b
the leader’s portion was kept for him.c
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the Lord’s righteous will,d
and his judgments concerning Israel.”
22 About Dane he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
springing out of Bashan.”
23 About Naphtalif he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake.”
24 About Asherg he said:
“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
Deuteronomy 19:1–33:29
19:1–14Ref—Nu 35:6–34; Dt 4:41–43; Jos 20:1–9
19 When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,q 2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3 Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.
4 This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. 5 For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. 6 Otherwise, the avenger of bloodr might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. 7 This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
8 If the Lord your God enlarges your territory,s as he promisedt on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, 9 because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to himu—then you are to set aside three more cities. 10 Do this so that innocent bloodv will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.w
11 But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor,x and then flees to one of these cities, 12 the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die. 13 Show no pity.y You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood,z so that it may go well with you.
14 Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.a
15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.b
16 If a malicious witnessc takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, 17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judgesd who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation,e and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, 19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party.f You must purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid,g and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Show no pity:h life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.i
20 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours,j do not be afraidk of them,l because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be withm you. 2 …
Deuteronomy 19:1–21
19:1–14Ref—Nu 35:6–34; Dt 4:41–43; Jos 20:1–9
19 When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,q 2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3 Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.
4 This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. 5 For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. 6 Otherwise, the avenger of bloodr might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. 7 This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
8 If the Lord your God enlarges your territory,s as he promisedt on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, 9 because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to himu—then you are to set aside three more cities. 10 Do this so that innocent bloodv will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.w
11 But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor,x and then flees to one of these cities, 12 the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die. 13 Show no pity.y You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood,z so that it may go well with you.
14 Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.a
15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.b
16 If a malicious witnessc takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, 17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judgesd who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation,e and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, 19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party.f You must purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid,g and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Show no pity:h life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.i