Deuteronomy 33
33
1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2He said,
“The LORD came from Sinai,
and rose from Seir to them.
He shone from Mount Paran.
He came from the ten thousands of holy ones.
At his right hand was a fiery law for them.#33:2 another manuscript reads “He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.”
3Yes, he loves the people.
All his holy ones are in your hand.
They sat down at your feet.
Each receives your words.
4 Moses commanded us a law,
an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5 He was king in Jeshurun,
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.
6“Let Reuben live, and not die;
Nor let his men be few.”
7 This is for Judah. He said,
“Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah.
Bring him in to his people.
With his hands he contended for himself.
You shall be a help against his adversaries.”
8 About Levi he said,
“Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one,
whom you proved at Massah,
with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.
9 He said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’
He didn’t acknowledge his brothers,
nor did he know his own children;
for they have observed your word,
and keep your covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob your ordinances,
and Israel your law.
They shall put incense before you,
and whole burnt offering on your altar.
11 LORD, bless his skills.
Accept the work of his hands.
Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him,
of those who hate him, that they not rise again.”
12 About Benjamin he said,
“The beloved of the LORD will dwell in safety by him.
He covers him all day long.
He dwells between his shoulders.”
13 About Joseph he said,
“His land is blessed by the LORD,
for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew,
for the deep that couches beneath,
14 for the precious things of the fruits of the sun,
for the precious things that the moon can yield,
15 for the best things of the ancient mountains,
for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 for the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
the good will of him who lived in the bush.#33:16 i.e., the burning bush of Exodus 3:3-4.
Let this come on the head of Joseph,
on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers.
17 Majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd.
His horns are the horns of the wild ox.
With them he will push all the peoples to the ends of the earth.
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim.
They are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 About Zebulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out;
and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will call the peoples to the mountain.
There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness,
for they will draw out the abundance of the seas,
the hidden treasures of the sand.”
20About Gad he said,
“He who enlarges Gad is blessed.
He dwells as a lioness,
and tears the arm and the crown of the head.
21 He provided the first part for himself,
for the lawgiver’s portion was reserved for him.
He came with the heads of the people.
He executed the righteousness of the LORD,
His ordinances with Israel.”
22 About Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion’s cub
that leaps out of Bashan.”
23About Naphtali he said,
“Naphtali, satisfied with favour,
full of the LORD’s blessing,
Possess the west and the south.”
24 About Asher he said,
“Asher is blessed with children.
Let him be acceptable to his brothers.
Let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your bars will be iron and bronze.
As your days, so your strength will be.
26“There is no one like God, Jeshurun,
who rides on the heavens for your help,
in his excellency on the skies.
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place.
Underneath are the everlasting arms.
He thrust out the enemy from before you,
and said, ‘Destroy!’
28 Israel dwells in safety,
the fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine.
Yes, his heavens drop down dew.
29 You are happy, Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD,
the shield of your help,
the sword of your excellency?
Your enemies will submit themselves to you.
You will tread on their high places.”
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Deuteronomy 33
33
Moses blesses the tribes of Israel
1Moses was a prophet, and before he died, he blessed the tribes of Israel by saying:
2The LORD came from Mount Sinai.
From Edom, he gave light
to his people,
and his glory was shining
from Mount Paran.
Thousands of his warriors
were with him, and fire
was at his right hand.#33.2 Thousands…right hand: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
3The LORD loves the tribes
of Israel,#33.3 the tribes of Israel: Or “the nations”.
and he protects his people.
They listen to his words
and worship at his feet.
4-5I called a meeting
of the tribes of Israel#33.4-5 Israel: The Hebrew text also uses the name “Jeshurun”, a rare name for “Israel”.
and gave you God's Law.
Then you and your leaders
made the LORD your king.
6Tribe of Reuben, you will live,
even though your tribe
will always be small.#33.6 even though…small: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7The LORD will listen to you,
tribe of Judah, as you beg
to come safely home.
You fought your enemies alone;#33.7 beg…alone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
now the LORD will help you.
8At Massah and Meribah Spring,#33.8 Massah and Meribah Spring: See Exodus 17.1-7; Numbers 20.1-13.#Ex 28.30; Ex 17.7; Ex 17.7; Nu 20.13.
the LORD tested you,
tribe of Levi.
You were faithful,#33.8 the LORD tested you, tribe of Levi. You were faithful: Or “the LORD tested me. I was faithful” or “the LORD tested Aaron and me. We were faithful.”
and so the priesthood#33.8 priesthood: The Hebrew text has “your thummim and your urim”, objects that were used by priests to get answers from God. belongs
to the Levi tribe.
9Protecting Israel's agreement
with the LORD
was more important to you
than the life of your father
or mother,
or brothers or sisters,
or your own children.#33.9 Protecting Israel's agreement…your own children: See Exodus 32.25-29.
10You teach God's laws to Israel,#33.10 Israel: See the note at 32.9.
and at the place of worship
you offer sacrifices
and burn incense.
11I pray that the LORD will bless
everything you do,
and make you strong enough
to crush your enemies.
12The LORD Most High#33.12 Most High: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. loves you,
tribe of Benjamin.
He will live among your hills
and protect you.
13Descendants of Joseph,
the LORD will bless you
with precious water
from deep wells
and with dew from the sky.
14Month by month, your fruit
will ripen in the sunshine.
15You will have a rich harvest
from the slopes
of the ancient hills.
16The LORD who appeared
in the burning bush
wants to give you the best
the land can produce,
and it will be a princely crown
on Joseph's head.
17The armies of Ephraim
and Manasseh
are majestic and fierce
like a bull or a wild ox.
They will run their spears
through faraway nations.
18Be happy, Zebulun,
as your boats set sail;
be happy, Issachar,
in your tents.
19The sea will make you wealthy,
and from the sandy beach
you will get treasure.#33.19 sandy beach…treasure: Possibly a reference to glass made from sand; glass was rare and very valuable.
So invite the other tribes#33.19 other tribes: Or “nations”.
to celebrate with you
and offer sacrifices to God.
20Tribe of Gad,
the LORD will bless you
with more land.
So shout his praises!
Your tribe is like a lion
ripping up its victim.
21Your leaders met together
and chose the best land
for your tribe,
but you obeyed the LORD
and helped the other tribes.#33.21 tribes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 21. The Gad tribe asked for some of the land east of the River Jordan, but promised that their warriors would cross the Jordan and help the other tribes take over the land west of the Jordan (see Numbers 32.1-33; Joshua 4.10-13).
22Tribe of Dan,
you are like a lion cub,
startled by a snake.#33.22 startled by a snake: Or “jumping out from the forest of Bashan”.
23The LORD is pleased with you,
people of Naphtali.
He will bless you
and give you the land
to the west and the south.#33.23 land to the west and the south: Or “land south as far as Lake Galilee”.
24The LORD's greatest blessing
is for you, tribe of Asher.
You will be the favourite
of all the other tribes.
You will be rich with olive oil
25and have strong town gates
with bronze and iron bolts.
Your people will be powerful
for as long as they live.
26Israel,#33.26 Israel: See the note at 33.4. no other god
is like ours—
the clouds are his chariot
as he rides across the skies
to come and help us.
27The eternal God
is our hiding place;
he carries us in his arms.
When God tells you
to destroy your enemies,
he will make them run.
28Israel, you will live in safety;
your enemies will be gone.#33.28 your enemies will be gone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
The dew will fall from the sky,
and you will have plenty
of grain and wine.
29The LORD has rescued you
and given you more blessings
than any other nation.
He protects you like a shield
and is your majestic sword.
Your enemies will bow in fear,
and you will trample
on their backs.
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