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
The fourth heading: Moses’ blessing
1This is the blessing that Moses the man of God gave the Israelites before he died. 2He said:
The LORD came from Sinai:
from Seir he shone like the dawn on us,#33.2 Correcting with LXX, Vulg, Syr, Tg Onkelos (see 33:4); MT and Sam on them
from Paran Mountain he beamed down.
Thousands of holy ones were with him;#33.2 Correction; cf LXX, Sam, Syr, Vulg; MT he came from Ribeboth-kodesh
his warriors were next to him, ready.#33.2 LXX angels; Heb uncertain
3Yes, those who love#33.3 Correction; MT lover of the nations—
all his holy ones—were at your command;
they followed your footsteps;
they got moving when you said so.
4Moses gave the Instruction to us—
it’s the prized possession of Jacob’s assembly.
5A king came to rule in Jeshurun,
when the people’s leaders gathered together,
when Israel’s tribes were one.
6“I pray that Reuben lives, doesn’t die,
though his numbers are so few.”
7Moses said this to Judah:
“LORD, listen to Judah’s voice!
Bring him back to his own people,
strengthen his hands;#33.7 Or with his hands he contended
be his help against every enemy.”
8Then he told Levi:
“Give your Thummim to Levi,#33.8 DSS (4QDeuth, 4QTest) and LXX; MT lacks Give to Levi.
your Urim to your faithful one—
the one you tested at Massah,
the one you challenged by Meribah’s waters;
9the one who said of his own mother and father:
‘I don’t consider them as such’;
of their siblings: ‘I don’t recognize them’;
of their own children, ‘I don’t know them’—
but who obeyed your words
and who guarded your covenant!
10They teach your case laws to Jacob,
your Instruction to Israel.
They hold sweet incense to your nose;
put the entirely burned offering on your altar.
11I pray that the LORD blesses Levi’s strength,
favors his hard work,
and crushes the insides of his enemies
so that those who hate him can’t fight anymore.”
12He said to Benjamin:
“The LORD’s dearest one
rests safely on him.
The Lord always shields him;
he rests on God’s chest.”
13Then he told Joseph:
“I pray that his land is blessed by God:
with heaven’s gifts from above,#33.13 Or from the dew
with the deep waters stretching out underneath;
14with the gifts produced by the sun,
with the gifts generated by the moon;#33.14 Or moons or months
15with the best fruit from ancient mountains,
with the gifts of eternal hills;
16with the gifts of the earth and all that fills it,
and the favor of the one who lives on Sinai.#33.16 Or lives in a bush
I pray that all these rest on Joseph’s head,
on the crown of that prince among brothers.
17A firstborn bull#33.17 Sam, LXX, Vulg; DSS (4QDeuth) and Heb the oldest offspring of his bull—that’s how majestic he is!
A wild ox’s horns—those are his horns!
With them he gores all peoples
completely, to the far ends of the earth!
His horns#33.17 Or they; also in the next line are Ephraim’s tens of thousands.
His horns are Manasseh’s thousands.”
18Then he told Zebulun:
“Zebulun: celebrate when you are out and about;
Issachar: celebrate when you are at home in your tents!
19They call all sorts of people to the mountain,
where they offer right sacrifices.
It’s true: They’re nourished on the sea’s abundance;
they are nourished on buried treasures in the sand.”
20Then he told Gad:
“May Gad’s broad lands#33.20 Or the one who makes Gad large be blessed!
He lives like a lion:
he rips an arm, even a head!
21He chose the best part for himself
because there, where the commander’s portion was,
the leaders of the people gathered together.#33.21 Cf LXX; MT there the commander’s portion was reserved; he came at the front of the people or there was the portion of the respected commander; the people’s leaders came.
Gad executed the LORD’s justice
and the Lord’s judgments for Israel.”#33.21 Heb uncertain
22Then he told Dan:
“Dan is a lion cub.
He jumps up from Bashan.”
23Then he told Naphtali:
“Naphtali—you are full of favor,
overflowing with the LORD’s blessing—
go possess the west and the south!”
24Finally, he told Asher:
“Asher is the most blessed of sons.
I pray that he’s his brothers’ favorite—
one who dips his foot in fine oil.
25I pray that your dead bolts are iron and copper,
and that your strength lasts all your days.”#33.25 Heb uncertain
26Jeshurun! No one compares to God!
He rides through heaven to help you,
rides majestically through the clouds.
27The most ancient God is a place of safety;#33.27 Or He humiliates the oldest gods.
the eternal arms are a support.#33.27 Or He shatters the most ancient forces.
He drove out the enemy before you.
He commanded: “Destroy them!”
28So Israel now lives in safety—
Jacob’s residence#33.28 Or fountain is secure—
in a land full of grain and wine,
where the heavens drip dew.
29Happy are you, Israel! Who is like you?
You are a people saved by the LORD!
He’s the shield that helps you,
your majestic sword!
Your enemies will come crawling on their knees to you,
but you will stomp on their backs!#33.29 Or their shrines
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