1 This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.
2 He said:
“The LORD came from Sinai
and dawned upon us2
from Seir;
He shone forth from Mount Paran
and came with myriads of holy ones,
with flaming fire at His right hand.4
1 LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew upon them
2 Or with myriads of holy ones from the south, from His mountain slopes
3 Surely You love the people;
all the holy ones are in Your hand,
and they sit down at Your feet;1
each receives Your words—
1 Or they follow in Your steps
4 the law that Moses gave us,
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
5 So the LORD became King in Jeshurun1
when the leaders of the people gathered,
when the tribes of Israel came together.
1 Jeshurun means the upright one, a term of endearment for Israel; also in verse 26.
6 Let Reuben live and not die,
nor1
his men be few.”
1 Or but let
7 And concerning Judah he said:
“O LORD, hear the cry of Judah
and bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause,
but may You be a help against his foes.”
8 Concerning Levi he said:
“Give Your Thummim to Levi
and Your Urim to Your godly one,2
whom You tested at Massah3
and contested at the waters of Meribah.4
1 DSS and LXX; MT does not include to Levi; literally Let Your Perfections and Your Lights be to Your godly one.
2 Massah means testing; see Exodus 17:7.
3 Meribah means quarreling; see Exodus 17:7.
9 He said of his father and mother,
‘I do not consider them.’
He disregarded his brothers
and did not know his own sons,
for he kept1
Your word
and maintained Your covenant.
1 Hebrew they kept, most likely referring to Levi in the plural; similarly twice in verse 10
10 He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob
and Your law to Israel;
he will set incense before You
and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 Bless his substance, O LORD,
and accept the work of his hands.
Smash the loins of those who rise against him,
and of his foes so they can rise no more.”
12 Concerning Benjamin he said:
“May the beloved of the LORD
rest secure in Him;
God shields2
him all day long,
and upon His shoulders he rests.”
1 LXX; Hebrew He shields
13 Concerning Joseph he said:
“May his land be blessed by the LORD
with the precious dew from heaven above
and the deep waters that lie beneath,
14 with the bountiful harvest from the sun
and the abundant yield of the seasons,
15 with the best of the ancient mountains
and the bounty of the everlasting hills,
16 with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it,
and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph
and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.
17 His majesty is like a firstborn bull,
and his horns are like those of a wild ox.
With them he will gore the nations,
even to the ends of the earth.
Such are the myriads of Ephraim,
and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
18 Concerning Zebulun he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19 They will call the peoples to a mountain;
there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness.
For they will feast on the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.”
20 Concerning Gad he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges
the domain of Gad!
He lies down like a lion
and tears off an arm or a head.
21 He chose the best land for himself,
because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there.
He came with the leaders of the people;
he administered the LORD’s justice
and His ordinances for Israel.”
22 Concerning Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
leaping out of Bashan.”
23 Concerning Naphtali he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with favor,
full of the blessing of the LORD;
he shall take possession
of the sea2
and the south.”
1 Or the west
24 And concerning Asher he said:
“May Asher be the most blessed of sons;
may he be the most favored among his brothers
and dip his foot in oil.
25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze,
and may your strength match your days.”
26 “There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides the heavens to your aid,
and the clouds in His majesty.
27 The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He drives out the enemy before you,
giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’
28 So Israel dwells securely;
the fountain of Jacob lives untroubled
in a land of grain and new wine,
where even the heavens drip with dew.
29 Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD?
He is the shield that protects you,
the sword in which you boast.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you shall trample their high places.”