Deuteronomy 33
33
Moses’s Blessings
1This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave the Israelites before his death.#Gn 49:1–33 2He said:
The Lord came from Sinai
and appeared to them from Seir;#Gn 14:6; 32:3; 36:8; Dt 1:2; Jdg 5:4
he shone on them from Mount Paran#Gn 21:21; Nm 10:12; 12:16; Dt 1:1; Hab 3:3
and came with ten thousand holy ones,#33:2 LXX reads Mount Paran with ten thousands from Kadesh
with lightning#33:2 Or fiery law; Hb obscure from his right hand#33:2 Or ones, from his southland to the mountain slopes for them.#Jdg 5:4–5; Ps 68:7–8; Hab 3:3
3Indeed he loves the people.#33:3 Or peoples#Dt 4:37; Mal 1:2
All your#33:3 Lit his, or its holy ones are in your hand,
and they assemble#33:3 Hb obscure at your feet.
Each receives your words.
4Moses gave us instruction,
a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5So he became King in Jeshurun#33:5 = Upright One, referring to Israel, also in v. 26#Dt 32:15; 33:26; Is 44:2
when the leaders of the people gathered
with the tribes of Israel.
6Let Reuben live and not die
though his people become few.#Gn 49:3–4; Jdg 5:15–16
7He said this about Judah:
Lord, hear Judah’s cry and bring him to his people.
He fights for his cause#33:7 Or He contends for them with his own hands,
but may you be a help against his foes.
8He said about Levi:
Your Thummim and Urim#Ex 28:30; Lv 8:8; Ezr 2:63; Neh 7:65 belong to your faithful one;#33:8 DSS, LXX read Give to Levi your Thummim, your Urim to your favored one
you tested him at Massah
and contended with him at the Waters of Meribah.#Ex 17:1–7; Nm 20:2–13; Dt 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8
9He said about his father and mother,
“I do not regard them.”
He disregarded his brothers
and didn’t acknowledge his sons,
for they kept your word
and maintained your covenant.#Ex 32:25–29
10They will teach your ordinances to Jacob
and your instruction to Israel;#Dt 31:9–13
they will set incense before you
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Lord, bless his possessions,#33:11 Or abilities
and accept the work of his hands.
Break the back#33:11 Or waist of his adversaries and enemies,
so that they cannot rise again.
12He said about Benjamin:
The Lord’s beloved rests#33:12 Or Let the Lord’s beloved rest securely on him.
He#33:12 LXX reads The Most High shields him all day long,
and he rests on his shoulders.#33:12 Or and he dwells among his mountain slopes
13He said about Joseph:
May his land be blessed by the Lord
with the dew of heaven’s bounty
and the watery depths that lie beneath;#Pr 3:20
14with the bountiful harvest from the sun
and the abundant yield of the seasons;
15with the best products of the ancient mountains
and the bounty of the eternal hills;#Gn 49:26; Hab 3:6
16with the choice gifts of the land
and everything in it;
and with the favor of him
who appeared#33:16 Lit dwelt in the burning bush.#Ex 3:2–4
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince of his brothers.#Gn 49:26
17His firstborn bull has#33:17 Some DSS, Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg read A firstborn bull — he has splendor,
and horns like#33:17 Lit and his horns are those of a wild ox;
he gores all the peoples with them
to the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and such are the thousands of Manasseh.
18He said about Zebulun:
Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19They summon the peoples to a mountain;
there they offer acceptable sacrifices.
For they draw from the wealth of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.#Gn 49:13; Jdg 5:15,18
20He said about Gad:
The one who enlarges Gad’s territory
will be blessed.
He lies down like a lion
and tears off an arm or even a head.#1Ch 12:8
21He chose the best part for himself,
because a ruler’s portion was assigned there for him.
He came with the leaders of the people;
he carried out the Lord’s justice
and his ordinances for Israel.#Nm 32:1–38
22He said about Dan:
Dan is a young lion,
leaping out of Bashan.#Jdg 5:17
23He said about Naphtali:
Naphtali, enjoying approval,
full of the Lord’s blessing,
take#33:23 Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg, Tg read he will take possession to the west and the south.
24He said about Asher:
May Asher#33:24 = Happy or Blessed; Gn 30:13 be the most blessed of the sons;
may he be the most favored among his brothers
and dip his foot in olive oil.#Gn 49:20
25May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze,
and your strength last as long as you live.
26There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides the heavens to your aid,
the clouds in his majesty.#2Sm 22:8–20; Ps 18:7–19; 68:4,33; Is 19:1
27The God of old is your dwelling place,#Ps 91:9
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He drives out the enemy before you
and commands, “Destroy!”
28So Israel dwells securely;#Lv 25:18–19; 26:5; Dt 12:10; 33:12; Jr 23:6; 33:16; Ezk 28:26; 34:28; 39:6
Jacob lives untroubled#33:28 Text emended; MT reads Jacob’s fountain is alone#Nm 23:9
in a land of grain and new wine;
even his skies drip with dew.#Dt 8:7–9
29How happy you are, Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the Lord?
He is the shield that protects you,
the sword you boast in.
Your enemies will cringe before you,#2Sm 22:44–46; Ps 18:43–45
and you will tread on their backs.#33:29 Or high places#Dt 32:13; Hab 3:19
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Deuteronomy 33: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
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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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012