The Bible

Deuteronomy Chapter 33

¹[Now] this is the blessing Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel with before his death. ²He said,

"Yahweh came from Sinai,
and rose from Seir on them.
He shone from Mount Paran.
He came from the myriads of holy ones.
At his right hand was a fiery law for them.
³Yes, he loves the people.
All his saints are in your hand.
They sat down at your feet.
[Each] receives your words.
⁴Moses commanded us a law,
an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
⁵He 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."

⁷This he said [for] Judah.
"Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah.
Bring him in to his people.
With his hands he contended for himself.
You'll be a help against his adversaries."

⁸About Levi he said,
"Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one,
whom you proved at Massah,
whom you contended with at the waters of Meribah.
⁹He 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. ¹⁰They'll teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They'll put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar. ¹¹Yahweh, bless his ability.
Accept the work of his hands.
Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him,
of those who hate him, so they don't rise again."

¹²About Benjamin he said,
"The beloved of Yahweh lives in safety.
He covers him all the day long.
He lives between his shoulders."

¹³About Joseph he said,
"His land is blessed by Yahweh,
for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew,
for the deep that couches beneath,
¹⁴for the precious things of the fruits of the sun,
for the precious things that the [passing of the] moon can yield,
¹⁵for the best things of the ancient mountains,
for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
¹⁶for the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
the good will of him who lived in the bush.
Let [these blessings] come on the head of Joseph,
on the crown of the head of him who was set aside from his brothers.
¹⁷Majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd.
His horns are the horns of the wild ox.
With them he'll push all the peoples to the ends of the earth.
They are the myriads of Ephraim.
They are the thousands of Manasseh."

¹⁸About Zebulun he said,
"Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out;
and Issachar, in your tents.
¹⁹They 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 lives as a lioness,
and tears the arm and the scalp.
²¹He 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 Yahweh,
His ordinances with Israel."

²²About Dan he said,
"Dan is a lion's cub
that leaps out of Bashan."

²³About Naphtali he said,
"Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
full of Yahweh's blessing,
Possess the west and the south."

²⁴About Asher he said,
"Asher is blessed with children.
Let him be acceptable to his brothers.
Let him dip his foot in oil.
²⁵Your bars will be iron and bronze.
As your days, so your strength will be.

²⁶"There is no one like God, Jeshurun,
who rides [across] the sky for your help,
in his excellency on the clouds.
²⁷The eternal God is [your] dwelling place.
Underneath are the everlasting arms.
He thrust out the enemy from before you,
and said, 'Destroy!'
²⁸Israel lives in safety,
the fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine.
Yes, his heavens drop down dew.
²⁹You are happy, Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh,
the shield of your help,
the sword of your excellency?
Your enemies will submit themselves to you.
You will tread on their high places."