Deuteronomy 33

1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

And this [is] the blessing [with] which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death,

2 He said, “Yahweh came from Sinai, and rose from Seir to them. He shone from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them.

and he says: “YHWH has come from Sinai, And has risen from Seir for them; He has shone from Mount Paran, And has come [with] myriads of holy ones; At His right hand [came] a fiery law [[or a flaming fire]] for them.

3 Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet. Each receives your words.

Indeed, He [is] loving the peoples; All His holy ones [are] in Your hand, And they sat down at Your foot, [Each] lifts up Your words.

4 Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

Moses has commanded a law for us, A possession of the assembly of Jacob.

5 He was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.

And He is King in Yeshurun, In the heads of the people gathering together, The tribes of Israel!

6 “Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.”

Let Reuben live, and not die, And let his men be an [incalculable] number.

7 This is for Judah. He said, “Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries.”

And this [is] for Judah, and he says: Hear, O YHWH, the voice of Judah, And You bring him in to his people; His hand has striven for him, And You are a help from his adversaries.

8 About Levi he said, “Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.

And of Levi he said: Your Perfections and your Lights [are] for your pious one, Whom You have tried in Massah, You strive with him at the waters of Meribah;

9 He 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.

Who is saying of his father and his mother, I have not seen him; And he has not discerned his brothers, And he has not known his sons; For they have observed Your saying, And they keep Your covenant.

10 They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.

They teach Your judgments to Jacob, And Your law to Israel; They put incense in Your nose, And whole burnt-offering on Your altar.

11 Yahweh, bless his skills. Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again.”

Bless, O YHWH, his strength, And accept the work of his hands, Strike the loins of his withstanders, And of those hating him—that they do not rise!

12 About Benjamin he said, “The beloved of Yahweh will dwell in safety by him. He covers him all day long. He dwells between his shoulders.”

Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of YHWH dwells confidently by Him, Covering him over every day; Indeed, he dwells between His shoulders.

13 About 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,

And of Joseph he said: His land [is] blessed [by] YHWH, By a precious thing of the heavens, By dew, and by the deep crouching beneath,

14 for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things that the moon can yield,

And by a precious thing—fruits of the sun, And by a precious thing—cast forth by the months,

15 for the best things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills,

And by a chief thing—of the ancient mountains, And by a precious thing—of the continuous heights,

16 for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of him who lived in the bush. Let this come on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers.

And by a precious thing—of earth and its fullness, And the good pleasure of Him who is dwelling in the bush; Let it come for the head of Joseph, And for the crown of him [who is] separate from his brothers.

17 Majesty belongs to the firstborn of his herd. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he will push all the peoples to the ends of the earth. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh.”

His splendor [is] a firstling of his ox, And his horns [are] horns of a wild ox; With them he pushes the peoples Altogether to the ends of the earth; And they [are] the myriads of Ephraim, And they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.

18 About Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.

And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, O Zebulun, in your going out, And, O Issachar, in your tents;

19 They 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.”

They call peoples [to] the mountain, There they sacrifice righteous sacrifices; For they suck up the abundance of the seas, And hidden things hidden in the sand.

20 About Gad he said, “He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm and the crown of the head.

And of Gad he said: Blessed is he who is enlarging Gad, He dwells as a lioness, And has torn the arm—also the crown!

21 He 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.”

And he provides the first part for himself, For there the portion of the lawgiver is covered, And he comes [with] the heads of the people; He has done the righteousness of YHWH, And His judgments with Israel.

22 About Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps out of Bashan.”

And of Dan he said: Dan [is] a lion’s whelp; He leaps from Bashan.

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

And of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, satisfied with pleasure, And full of the blessing of YHWH, Possess [the] west and [the] south.

24 About Asher he said, “Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil.

And of Asher he said: Asher [is] blessed with sons, Let him be accepted by his brothers, And dipping his foot in oil.

25 Your bars will be iron and bronze. As your days, so your strength will be.

Iron and bronze [are] your shoes, And as your days—your strength.

26 “There is no one like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, in his excellency on the skies.

[There is] none like the God of Yeshurun, Riding the heavens to your help, And in His excellence the skies.

27 The eternal God is your dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’

The eternal God [is] a habitation, And beneath [are] continuous arms. And He casts out the enemy from your presence and says, Destroy!

28 Israel dwells in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine. Yes, his heavens drop down dew.

And Israel dwells [in] confidence alone; The eye of Jacob [is] to a land of grain and wine; Also His heavens drop down dew.

29 You 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.”

O your blessedness, O Israel! Who is like you? A people saved by YHWH, The shield of your help, And He who [is] the sword of your excellence! And your enemies are subdued for you, And you tread on their high places.”