The blessing of Moses
1This is the blessing Moses, the man of God, gave the Israelites before his death. 2He said: Yahweh came from Sinai and dawned on them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran and came from myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand for them. 3Truly he loves the peoples; all his holy ones are in your hand. They sit down at your feet, each receiving your words. 4Moses gave us a law, the inheritance of the assembly of Jacob. 5So he became king in Jeshurun, when the leaders of the people assembled, the tribes of Israel together.
Reuben, Judah, and Levi blessed
6Let Reuben live and not die, though his numbers be few. 7And this he said of Judah: Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people. Let his hands be strong for him, and be his help against his foes. 8Of Levi he said: Your Thummim and your Urim belong to your faithful one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah, 9who said of his father and mother, “I have not seen them,” who did not acknowledge his brothers or know his own children, for they observed your word and kept your covenant. 10They will teach your ordinances to Jacob and your law to Israel. They will place incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. 11Bless his strength, Yahweh, and accept the work of his hands. Crush the loins of those who rise against him and of those who hate him, that they not rise again.
Benjamin, Joseph, and Zebulun blessed
12Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of Yahweh rests secure beside him; he shields him all day long, and he dwells between his shoulders. 13Of Joseph he said: May his land be blessed by Yahweh, with the choicest gift of the heavens above, the dew, and the deep that lies beneath, 14with the choicest yield of the sun, and the choicest produce of the months, 15with the finest gifts of the ancient mountains, and the choicest yield of the everlasting hills, 16with the choicest gift of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of him who dwelt in the bush. May this rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the one set apart from his brothers. 17In majesty he is like a firstborn bull, his horns like the horns of a wild ox; with them he will gore the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh. 18Of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents. 19They will summon peoples to the mountain and offer there righteous sacrifices, for they will draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.
Gad, Dan, Naphtali, and Asher blessed
20Of Gad he said: Blessed is he who enlarges Gad! He lies down like a lion and tears at arm and skull. 21He chose the best of the land for himself, for there a ruler’s portion was reserved; he came with the heads of the people, carrying out the justice of Yahweh and his ordinances with Israel. 22Of Dan he said: Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out from Bashan. 23Of Naphtali he said: Naphtali, satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of Yahweh, possess the lake and the south. 24Of Asher he said: Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be the favorite of his brothers, and let him bathe his foot in oil. 25May your bolts be iron and bronze, and your strength last as long as your days.
There is no one like the God of Jeshurun
26There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and the clouds in his majesty. 27The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drove out the enemy before you and said, Destroy! 28So Israel dwells in safety, secure; the fountain of Jacob rests in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drip with dew. 29Happy are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help and the sword of your triumph? Your enemies will come cringing before you, and you will tread on their backs.
