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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Deuteronomy 33: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Deuteronomy 33
33
Moses Blesses the People
1Moses, the man of God, gave this blessing to the Israelites before he died. 2He said:
“The Lord came from Mount Sinai
and rose like the sun from Edom;
he showed his greatness from Mount Paran.
He came with thousands of angels
from the southern mountains.
3The Lord surely loves his people
and takes care of all those who belong to him.
They bow down at his feet,
and they are taught by him.
4Moses gave us the teachings
that belong to the people of Jacob.
5The Lord became king of Israel
when the leaders of the people gathered,
when the tribes of Israel came together.
6“Let the people of Reuben live and not die,
but let the people be few.”
7Moses said this about the people of Judah:
“Lord, listen to Judah’s prayer;
bring them back to their people.
They defend themselves with their hands.
Help them fight their enemies!”
8Moses said this about the people of Levi:
“Lord, your Thummim and Urim belong
to Levi, whom you love.
Lord, you tested him at Massah
and argued with him at the waters of Meribah.
9He said about his father and mother,
‘I don’t care about them.’
He did not treat his brothers as favorites
or give special favors to his children,
but he protected your word
and guarded your agreement.
10He teaches your laws to the people of Jacob
and your teachings to the people of Israel.
He burns incense before you
and makes whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11Lord, make them strong;
be pleased with the work they do.
Defeat those who attack them,
and don’t let their enemies rise up again.”
12Moses said this about the people of Benjamin:
“The Lord’s loved ones will lie down in safety,
because he protects them all day long.
The ones he loves rest with him.”
13Moses said this about the people of Joseph:
“May the Lord bless their land with wonderful dew from heaven,
with water from the springs below,
14with the best fruits that the sun brings,
and with the best fruits that the moon brings.
15Let the old mountains give the finest crops,
and let the everlasting hills give the best fruits.
16Let the full earth give the best fruits,
and let the Lord who lived in the burning bush be pleased.
May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph,
on the forehead of the one who was blessed among his brothers.
17Joseph has the majesty of a firstborn bull;
he is as strong as a wild ox.
He will stab other nations,
even those nations far away.
These are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and these are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18Moses said this about the people of Zebulun:
“Be happy when you go out, Zebulun,
and be happy in your tents, Issachar.
19They will call the people to the mountain,
and there they will offer the right sacrifices.
They will do well from all that is in the sea,
and they will do well from the treasures hidden in the sand on the shore.”
20Moses said this about the people of Gad:
“Praise God who gives Gad more land!
Gad lives there like a lion,
who tears off arms and heads.
21They chose the best land for themselves.
They received a large share, like that given to an officer.
When the leaders of the people gathered,
the people of Gad did what the Lord said was right,
and they judged Israel fairly.”
22Moses said this about the people of Dan:
“Dan is like a lion’s cub,
who jumps out of Bashan.”
23Moses said this about the people of Naphtali:
“Naphtali enjoys special kindnesses,
and they are full of the Lord’s blessings.
Take as your own the west and south.”
24Moses said this about the people of Asher:
“Asher is the most blessed of the sons;
let him be his brothers’ favorite.
Let him bathe his feet in olive oil.
25Your gates will have locks of iron and bronze,
and you will be strong as long as you live.
26“There is no one like the God of Israel,
who rides through the skies to help you,
who rides on the clouds in his majesty.
27The everlasting God is your place of safety,
and his arms will hold you up forever.
He will force your enemy out ahead of you,
saying, ‘Destroy the enemy!’
28The people of Israel will lie down in safety.
Jacob’s spring is theirs alone.
Theirs is a land full of grain and new wine,
where the skies drop their dew.
29Israel, you are blessed!
No one else is like you,
because you are a people saved by the Lord.
He is your shield and helper,
your glorious sword.
Your enemies will be afraid of you,
and you will walk all over their holy places.”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.