Deuteronomy 33
Moses' Final Blessing on Israel
1This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.
2He said,
and dawned from Seir upon us;
he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
with flaming fire
all his holy ones were in his
so they followed
receiving direction from you,
4when Moses commanded us a law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
5Thus the LORD
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.
6Let Reuben live, and not die,
but let his men be few."
7And this he said of Judah:
and bring him in to his people.
With your hands contend
and be a help against his adversaries."
8And of Levi he said,
and your Urim to your godly one,
whom you tested at Massah,
with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
'I regard them not';
he disowned his brothers
and ignored his children.
For they observed your word
and kept your covenant.
10They shall teach Jacob your rules
and Israel your law;
they shall put incense before you
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11Bless, O LORD, his substance,
and accept the work of his hands;
crush the loins of his adversaries,
of those who hate him, that they rise not again."
12Of Benjamin he said,
The High God
and dwells between his shoulders."
13And of Joseph he said,
with the choicest gifts of heaven above,
and of the deep that crouches beneath,
and the rich yield of the months,
15with the finest produce of the ancient mountains
and the abundance of the everlasting hills,
16with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwells in the bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers.
17A firstborn bull
and his horns are the horns of a wild ox;
with them he shall gore the peoples,
all of them, to the ends of the earth;
they are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
and they are the thousands of Manasseh."
18And of Zebulun he said,
and Issachar, in your tents.
there they offer right sacrifices;
for they draw from the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand."
20And of Gad he said,
Gad crouches like a lion;
he tears off arm and scalp.
for there a commander's portion was reserved;
and he came with the heads of the people,
with Israel he executed the justice of the LORD,
and his judgments for Israel."
22And of Dan he said,
that leaps from Bashan."
23And of Naphtali he said,
and full of the blessing of the LORD,
possess the lake
24And of Asher he said,
let him be the favorite of his brothers,
and let him dip his foot in oil.
and as your days, so shall your strength be.
26There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
through the skies in his majesty.
27The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, 'Destroy.'
28So Israel lived in safety,
Jacob lived alone,
in a land of grain and wine,
whose heavens drop down dew.
29Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD,
the shield of your help,
and the sword of your triumph!
Your enemies shall come fawning to you,
and you shall tread upon their backs."