Deuteronomy 33 HCSB

Moses’ Blessings

1This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave the Israelites before his death.a 2He said:

The LORD came from Sinai

and appeared to them from Seir;b

He shone on them from Mount Paranc

and came with ten thousand holy ones,d

with lightninge from His right handf for them.g

3Indeed He loves the people.h, i

All Yourj holy onesk are in Your hand,

and they assemblel at Your feet.

Each receives Your words.

4Moses gave us instruction,

a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

5So He became King in Jeshurunmn

when the leaders of the people gathered

with the tribes of Israel.

6Let Reuben live and not die

though his people become few.o

7He said this about Judah:

LORD, hear Judah’s cry and bring him to his people.

He fights for his causep with his own hands,

but may You be a help against his foes.

8He said about Levi:

Your •Thummim and Urimq belong to Your faithful one;r

You tested him at Massah

and contended with him at the waters of Meribah.s

9He said about his father and mother,

“I do not regard them.”

He disregarded his brothers

and didn’t acknowledge his sons,

for they kept Your word

and maintained Your covenant.t

10They will teach Your ordinances to Jacob

and Your instruction to Israel;u

they will set incense before You

and whole •burnt offerings on Your altar.

11LORD, bless his possessions,v

and accept the work of his hands.

Smash the loins of his adversaries and enemies,

so that they cannot rise again.

12He said about Benjamin:

The LORD’s beloved restsw securely on Him.

Hex shields him all day long,

and he rests on His shoulders.y

13He said about Joseph:

May his land be blessed by the LORD

with the dew of heaven’s bounty

and the watery depths that lie beneath;z

14with the bountiful harvest from the sun

and the abundant yield of the seasons;

15with the best products of the ancient mountains

and the bounty of the eternal hills;aa

16with the choice gifts of the land

and everything in it;

and with the favor of Him

who appearedab in the burning bush.ac

May these rest on the head of Joseph,

on the crown of the prince of his brothers.ad

17His firstborn bull hasae splendor,

and horns likeaf those of a wild ox;

he gores all the peoples with them

to the ends of the earth.

Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim,

and such are the thousands of Manasseh.

18He said about Zebulun:

Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,

and Issachar, in your tents.

19They summon the peoples to a mountain;

there they offer acceptable sacrifices.

For they draw from the wealth of the seas

and the hidden treasures of the sand.ag

20He said about Gad:

The one who enlarges Gad’s territory

will be blessed.

He lies down like a lion

and tears off an arm or even a head.ah

21He chose the best part for himself,

because a ruler’s portion was assigned there for him.

He came with the leaders of the people;

he carried out the LORD’s justice

and His ordinances for Israel.ai

22He said about Dan:

Dan is a young lion,

leaping out of Bashan.aj

23He said about Naphtali:

Naphtali, enjoying approval,

full of the LORD’s blessing,

takeak possession to the west and the south.

24He said about Asher:

May Asheral be the most blessed of the sons;

may he be the most favored among his brothers

and dip his foot in olive oil.am, an

25May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze,

and your strength last as long as you live.

26There is none like the God of Jeshurun,ao

who rides the heavens to your aid,

the clouds in His majesty.ap

27The God of old is your dwelling place,aq

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

He drives out the enemy before you

and commands, “Destroy! ”

28So Israel dwells securely;ar

Jacob lives untroubledas, at

in a land of grain and new wine;

even his skies drip with dew.au

29How happy you are, Israel!

Who is like you,

a people saved by the LORD?

He is the shield that protects you,

the sword you boast in.

Your enemies will cringe before you,av

and you will tread on their backs.aw, ax

Footnotes:
a. 33:1-29 Gn 49:1-33
b. 33:2 Gn 14:6; 32:3; 36:8; Dt 1:2; Jdg 5:4
c. 33:2 Gn 21:21; Nm 10:12; 12:16; Dt 1:1; Hab 3:3
d. 33:2 LXX reads Mount Paran with ten thousands from Kadesh
e. 33:2 Or fiery law ; Hb obscure
f. 33:2 Or ones, from His southland to the mountain slopes
g. 33:2 Jdg 5:4-5; Ps 68:7-8; Hab 3:3
h. 33:3 Or peoples
i. 33:3 Dt 4:37; Mal 1:2
j. 33:3 Lit His, or its
k. 33:3 Either the saints of Israel or angels
l. 33:3 Hb obscure
m. 33:5 = Upright One, referring to Israel
n. 33:5 Dt 32:15; 33:26; Is 44:2
o. 33:6 Gn 49:3-4; Jdg 5:15-16
p. 33:7 Or He contends for them
q. 33:8 Ex 28:30; Lv 8:8; Ezr 2:63; Neh 7:65
r. 33:8 DSS, LXX read Give to Levi Your Thummim, Your Urim to Your favored one
s. 33:8 Ex 17:1-7; Nm 20:2-13; Dt 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8
t. 33:9 Ex 32:25-29
u. 33:10 Dt 31:9-13
v. 33:11 Or abilities
w. 33:12 Or Let the Lord’s beloved rest
x. 33:12 LXX reads The Most High
y. 33:12 Or and He dwells among his mountain slopes
z. 33:13 Pr 3:20
aa. 33:15 Gn 49:26; Hab 3:6
ab. 33:16 Lit dwelt
ac. 33:16 Ex 3:2-4
ad. 33:16 Gn 49:26
ae. 33:17 Some DSS, Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg read A firstborn bull — he has
af. 33:17 Lit and his horns are
ag. 33:18-19 Gn 49:13; Jdg 5:15,18
ah. 33:20 1Ch 12:8
ai. 33:20-21 Nm 32:1-38
aj. 33:22 Jdg 5:17
ak. 33:23 Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg, Tg read he will take
al. 33:24 = Happy or Blessed; Gn 30:13
am. 33:24 A symbol for prosperity
an. 33:24 Gn 49:20
ao. 33:26 = Upright One, referring to Israel
ap. 33:26 2Sm 22:8-20; Ps 18:7-19; 68:4,33; Is 19:1
aq. 33:27 Ps 91:9
ar. 33:28 Lv 25:18-19; 26:5; Dt 12:10; 33:12; Jr 23:6; 33:16; Ezk 28:26; 34:28; 39:6
as. 33:28 Text emended; MT reads Jacob’s fountain is alone
at. 33:28 Nm 23:9
au. 33:28 Dt 8:7-9
av. 33:29 2Sm 22:44-46; Ps 18:43-45
aw. 33:29 Or high places
ax. 33:29 Dt 32:13; Hab 3:19