English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.

1This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death:

2He said, “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand.

2“The LORD came from Mount Sinai and dawned upon us from Mount Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran and came from Meribah-kadesh with flaming fire at his right hand.

3Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you,

3Indeed, he loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands. They follow in his steps and accept his teaching.

4when Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

4Moses gave us the LORD’s instruction, the special possession of the people of Israel.

5Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.

5The LORD became king in Israel — when the leaders of the people assembled, when the tribes of Israel gathered as one.”

6“Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.”

6Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben: “Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though they are few in number.”

7And this he said of Judah: “Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him in to his people. With your hands contend for him, and be a help against his adversaries.”

7Moses said this about the tribe of Judah: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring them together as a people. Give them strength to defend their cause; help them against their enemies!”

8And of Levi he said, “Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;

8Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: “O LORD, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots— to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah.

9who said of his father and mother, ‘I regard them not’; he disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed your word and kept your covenant.

9The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their own parents. They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children.

10They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

10They teach your regulations to Jacob; they give your instructions to Israel. They present incense before you and offer whole burnt offerings on the 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.”

11Bless the ministry of the Levites, O LORD, and accept all the work of their hands. Hit their enemies where it hurts the most; strike down their foes so they never rise again.”

12Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.”

12Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin: “The people of Benjamin are loved by the LORD and live in safety beside him. He surrounds them continuously and preserves them from every harm.”

13And of Joseph he said, “Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath,

13Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph: “May their land be blessed by the LORD with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth;

14with the choicest fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months,

14with the rich fruit that grows in the sun, and the rich harvest produced each month;

15with the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills,

15with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from 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.

16with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty, and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush. May these blessings rest on Joseph’s head, crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers.

17A firstborn bull—he has majesty, 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.”

17Joseph has the majesty of a young bull; he has the horns of a wild ox. He will gore distant nations, even to the ends of the earth. This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.”

18And of Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents.

18Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar : “May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels. May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents.

19They shall call peoples to their mountain; there they offer right sacrifices; for they draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

19They summon the people to the mountain to offer proper sacrifices there. They benefit from the riches of the sea and the hidden treasures in the sand.”

20And of Gad he said, “Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp.

20Moses said this about the tribe of Gad: “Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory! Gad is poised there like a lion to tear off an arm or a head.

21He chose the best of the land for himself, 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.”

21The people of Gad took the best land for themselves; a leader’s share was assigned to them. When the leaders of the people were assembled, they carried out the LORD’s justice and obeyed his regulations for Israel.”

22And of Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps from Bashan.”

22Moses said this about the tribe of Dan: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out from Bashan.”

23And of Naphtali he said, “O Naphtali, sated with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, possess the lake and the south.”

23Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: “O Naphtali, you are rich in favor and full of the LORD’s blessings; may you possess the west and the south.”

24And of Asher he said, “Most blessed of sons be Asher; let him be the favorite of his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil.

24Moses said this about the tribe of Asher: “May Asher be blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his feet in olive oil.

25Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be.

25May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze; may you be secure all your days.”

26“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.

26“There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.

27The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy.’

27The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’

28So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew.

28So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and new wine, while the 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.”

29How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will stomp on their backs!”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.