33:1 This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. 33:2 He said:

The Lord came from Sinai

and revealed himself ¹  to Israel ²  from Seir.

He appeared in splendor ³  from Mount Paran,

and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. ⁴ 

With his right hand he gave a fiery law ⁵  to them.

33:3 Surely he loves the people; ⁶ 

all your holy ones ⁷  are in your power. ⁸ 

And they sit ⁹  at your feet,

each receiving ¹⁰  your words.

33:4 Moses delivered to us a law, ¹¹ 

an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

33:5 The Lord ¹²  was king over Jeshurun, ¹³ 

when the leaders of the people assembled,

the tribes of Israel together. ¹⁴ 

33:6 May Reuben live and not die,

and may his people multiply. ¹⁵ 

33:7 And this is the blessing ¹⁶  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.

33:8 Of Levi he said:

Your Thummim and Urim ¹⁷  belong to your godly one, ¹⁸ 

whose authority you challenged at Massah, ¹⁹ 

and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah. ²⁰ 

33:9 He said to his father and mother, “I have not seen him,” ²¹ 

and he did not acknowledge his own brothers

or know his own children,

for they kept your word,

and guarded your covenant.

33:10 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.

33:11 Bless, O Lord, his goods,

and be pleased with his efforts;

undercut the legs ²²  of any who attack him,

and of those who hate him, so that they cannot stand.

33:12 Of Benjamin he said:

The beloved of the Lord will live safely by him;

he protects him all the time,

and the Lord ²³  places him on his chest. ²⁴ 

33:13 Of Joseph he said:

May the Lord bless his land

with the harvest produced by the sky, ²⁵  by the dew,

and by the depths crouching beneath;

33:14 with the harvest produced by the daylight ²⁶ 

and by ²⁷  the moonlight; ²⁸ 

33:15 with the best ²⁹  of the ancient mountains

and the harvest produced by the age-old hills;

33:16 with the harvest of the earth and its fullness

and the pleasure of him who resided in the burning bush. ³⁰ 

May blessing rest on Joseph’s head,

and on the top of the head of the one set apart ³¹  from his brothers.

33:17 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, ³² 

and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

33:18 Of Zebulun he said:

Rejoice, Zebulun, when you go outside,

and Issachar, when you are in your tents.

33:19 They will summon peoples to the mountain,

there they will sacrifice proper ³³  sacrifices;

for they will enjoy ³⁴  the abundance of the seas,

and the hidden treasures of the shores. ³⁵ 

33:20 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. ³⁶ 

33:21 He has selected the best part for himself,

for the portion of the ruler ³⁷  is set aside ³⁸  there;

he came with the leaders ³⁹  of the people,

he obeyed the righteous laws of the Lord

and his ordinances with Israel.

33:22 Of Dan he said:

Dan is a lion’s cub;

he will leap forth from Bashan. ⁴⁰ 

33:23 Of Naphtali he said:

O Naphtali, overflowing with favor,

and full of the Lord’s blessing,

possess the west and south.

33:24 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. ⁴¹ 

33:25 The bars of your gates ⁴²  will be made of iron and bronze,

and may you have lifelong strength.

33:26 There is no one like God, O Jeshurun, ⁴³ 

who rides through the sky ⁴⁴  to help you,

on the clouds in majesty.

33:27 The everlasting God is a refuge,

and underneath you are his eternal arms; ⁴⁵ 

he has driven out enemies before you,

and has said, “Destroy!”

33:28 Israel lives in safety,

the fountain of Jacob is quite secure, ⁴⁶ 

in a land of grain and new wine;

indeed, its heavens ⁴⁷  rain down dew. ⁴⁸ 

33:29 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.