Deuteronomy 33

1  THIS IS the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the Israelites before his death.2  He said, The Lord came from Sinai and beamed upon us from Seir; He flashed forth from Mount Paran, from among ten thousands of holy ones, a flaming fire, a law, at His right hand.3  Yes, He loves [the tribes] His people; all those consecrated to Him are in Your hand. They followed in Your steps; they [accepted Your word and] received direction from You,4  When Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.5  [The Lord] was King in Jeshurun (Israel) when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.6  Let [the tribe of] Reuben live and not die out, but let his men be few.7  And this he [Moses] said of Judah: Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people! With his hands he contended for himself; but may You be a help against his enemies.8  And of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Your Urim [by which the priest sought God’s will for the nation] are for Your pious one [Aaron on behalf of the tribe], whom You tried and proved at Massah, with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah; 9  [Aaron] who said of his father and mother, I do not regard them; nor did he acknowledge his brothers or openly recognize his own children. For the priests observed Your word and kept Your covenant [as to their limitations].10  [The priests] shall teach Jacob Your ordinances and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You and whole burnt offerings upon Your altar.11  Bless, O Lord, [Levi’s] substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, and of those who hate him, that they arise no more.12  Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day long, and makes His dwelling between his shoulders.13  And of Joseph he said: Blessed by the Lord be his land, with the precious gifts of heaven from the dew and from the deep that couches beneath,14  With the precious things of the fruits of the sun and with the precious yield of the months,15  With the chief products of the ancient mountains and with the precious things of the everlasting hills,16  With the precious things of the earth and its fullness and the favor and goodwill of Him Who dwelt in the bush. Let these blessings come upon the head of Joseph, upon the crown of the head of him who was separate and prince among his brothers. 17  Like a firstling young bull his majesty is, and his horns like the horns of the wild ox; with them he shall push the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth. And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.18  And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your interests abroad, and you, Issachar, in your tents [at home].19  They shall call the people unto Mount [Carmel]; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall suck the abundance of the seas and the treasures hid in the sand.20  And of Gad he said: Blessed is He Who enlarges Gad! Gad lurks like a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.21  He selected the best land for himself, for there was the leader’s portion reserved; yet he came with the chiefs of the nation, and the righteous will of the Lord he performed, and His ordinances with Israel. 22  Of Dan he said: Dan is a lion’s whelp that leaps forth from Bashan.23  Of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord, possess the Sea [of Galilee] and [its warm, sunny climate like] the south.24  Of Asher he said: Blessed above sons is Asher; let him be acceptable to his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil.25  Your castles and strongholds shall have bars of iron and bronze, and as your day, so shall your strength, your rest and security, be.26  There is none like God, O Jeshurun [Israel], Who rides through the heavens to your help and in His majestic glory through the skies.27  The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy!28  And Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone in a land of grain and new wine; yes, His heavens drop dew.29  Happy are you, O Israel, and blessing is yours! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the Shield of your help, the Sword that exalts you! Your enemies shall come fawning and cringing, and submit feigned obedience to you, and you shall march on their high places.

Deuteronomy 33

Chapter 33

Moses Blesses the People

1 This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death:
2 “The LORD came from Mount Sinai
and dawned upon ust from Mount Seir;
he shone forth from Mount Paran
and came from Meribah-kadesh
with flaming fire at his right hand.t3 Indeed, he loves his people;t
all his holy ones are in his hands.
They follow in his steps
and accept his teaching.4 Moses gave us the LORD’s instruction,
the special possession of the people of Israel.t5 The LORD became king in Israelt—
when the leaders of the people assembled,
when the tribes of Israel gathered as one.”

6 Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben:t
“Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out,
though they are few in number.”

7 Moses said this about the tribe of Judah:
“O LORD, hear the cry of Judah
and bring them together as a people.
Give them strength to defend their cause;
help them against their enemies!”

8 Moses said this about the tribe of Levi:
“O LORD, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots—
to your faithful servants the Levites.t
You put them to the test at Massah
and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah.9 The Levites obeyed your word
and guarded your covenant.
They were more loyal to you
than to their own parents.
They ignored their relatives
and did not acknowledge their own children.10 They teach your regulations to Jacob;
they give your instructions to Israel.
They present incense before you
and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.11 Bless the ministry of the Levites, O LORD,
and accept all the work of their hands.
Hit their enemies where it hurts the most;
strike down their foes so they never rise again.”

12 Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin:
“The people of Benjamin are loved by the LORD
and live in safety beside him.
He surrounds them continuously
and preserves them from every harm.”

13 Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph:
“May their land be blessed by the LORD
with the precious gift of dew from the heavens
and water from beneath the earth;14 with the rich fruit that grows in the sun,
and the rich harvest produced each month;15 with the finest crops of the ancient mountains,
and the abundance from the everlasting hills;16 with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty,
and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush.
May these blessings rest on Joseph’s head,
crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.17 Joseph has the majesty of a young bull;
he has the horns of a wild ox.
He will gore distant nations,
driving them to the ends of the earth.
This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim
and the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachart:
“May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels.
May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.19 They summon the people to the mountain
to offer proper sacrifices there.
They benefit from the riches of the sea
and the hidden treasures in the sand.”

20 Moses said this about the tribe of Gad:
“Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory!
Gad is poised there like a lion
to tear off an arm or a head.21 The people of Gad took the best land for themselves;
a leader’s share was assigned to them.
When the leaders of the people were assembled,
they carried out the LORD’s justice
and obeyed his regulations for Israel.”

22 Moses said this about the tribe of Dan:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
leaping out from Bashan.”

23 Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali:
“O Naphtali, you are rich in favor
and full of the LORD’s blessings;
may you possess the west and the south.”

24 Moses said this about the tribe of Asher:
“May Asher be blessed above other sons;
may he be esteemed by his brothers;
may he bathe his feet in olive oil.25 May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze;
may you be secure all your days.”26 “There is no one like the God of Israel.t
He rides across the heavens to help you,
across the skies in majestic splendor.27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and his everlasting arms are under you.
He drives out the enemy before you;
he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’28 So Israel will live in safety,
prosperous Jacob in security,
in a land of grain and new wine,
while the heavens drop down dew.29 How blessed you are, O Israel!
Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD?
He is your protecting shield
and your triumphant sword!
Your enemies will cringe before you,
and you will stomp on their backs!”