Deuteronomy

The fifth book of Moses, called Deuteronomy, chapter 33, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 33 New English Translation

Introduction to the Blessing of Moses

   1 This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.

A Historical Review

   2 He said: The LORD came from Sinai and revealed himself to Israel from Seir. He appeared in splendor from Mount Paran, and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. With his right hand he gave a fiery law to them.
   3 Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words.
   4 Moses delivered to us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
   5 The LORD was king over Jeshurun, when the leaders of the people assembled, the tribes of Israel together.

Blessing on Reuben

   6 May Reuben live and not die, and may his people multiply.

Blessing on Judah

   7 And this is the blessing to Judah. He said, Listen, O LORD, to Judah's voice, and bring him to his people. May his power be great, and may you help him against his foes.

Blessing on Levi

   8 Of Levi he said: Your Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one, whose authority you challenged at Massah, and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah.
   9 He said to his father and mother, "I have not seen him," and he did not acknowledge his own brothers or know his own children, for they kept your word, and guarded your covenant.
   10 They will teach Jacob your ordinances and Israel your law; they will offer incense as a pleasant odor, and a whole offering on your altar.
   11 Bless, O LORD, his goods, and be pleased with his efforts; undercut the legs of any who attack him, and of those who hate him, so that they cannot stand.

Blessing on Benjamin

   12 Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the LORD will live safely by him; he protects him all the time, and the LORD places him on his chest.

Blessing on Joseph

   13 Of Joseph he said: May the LORD bless his land with the harvest produced by the sky, by the dew, and by the depths crouching beneath;
   14 with the harvest produced by the daylight and by the moonlight;
   15 with the best of the ancient mountains and the harvest produced by the age-old hills;
   16 with the harvest of the earth and its fullness and the pleasure of him who resided in the burning bush. May blessing rest on Joseph's head, and on the top of the head of the one set apart from his brothers.
   17 May the firstborn of his bull bring him honor, and may his horns be those of a wild ox; with them may he gore all peoples, all the far reaches of the earth. They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Blessing on Zebulun and Issachar

   18 Of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, when you go outside, and Issachar, when you are in your tents.
   19 They will summon peoples to the mountain, there they will sacrifice proper sacrifices; for they will enjoy the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the shores.

Blessing on Gad

   20 Of Gad he said: Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad. Like a lioness he will dwell; he will tear at an arm - indeed, a scalp.
   21 He has selected the best part for himself, for the portion of the ruler is set aside there; he came with the leaders of the people, he obeyed the righteous laws of the LORD and his ordinances with Israel.

Blessing on Dan

   22 Of Dan he said: Dan is a lion's cub; he will leap forth from Bashan.

Blessing on Naphtali

   23 Of Naphtali he said: O Naphtali, overflowing with favor, and full of the LORD's blessing, possess the west and south.

Blessing on Asher

   24 Of Asher he said: Asher is blessed with children, may he be favored by his brothers and may he dip his foot in olive oil.
   25 The bars of your gates will be made of iron and bronze, and may you have lifelong strength.

General Praise and Blessing

   26 There is no one like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the sky to help you, on the clouds in majesty.
   27 The everlasting God is a refuge, and underneath you are his eternal arms; he has driven out enemies before you, and has said, "Destroy!"
   28 Israel lives in safety, the fountain of Jacob is quite secure, in a land of grain and new wine; indeed, its heavens rain down dew.
   29 You have joy, Israel! Who is like you? You are a people delivered by the LORD, your protective shield and your exalted sword. May your enemies cringe before you; may you trample on their backs.

King James Version

   1 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
   2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
   3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
   4 Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
   5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
   6 ¶ Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
   7 ¶ And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.
   8 ¶ And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
   9 Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.
   10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.
   11 Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
   12 ¶ And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
   13 ¶ And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
   14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
   15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
   16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
   17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together 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 thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
   19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
   20 ¶ And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.
   21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.
   22 ¶ And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
   23 ¶ And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
   24 ¶ And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
   25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
   26 ¶ There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
   27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
   28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
   29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.