New American Standard Bible 1995

New Living Translation

1Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons 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 on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them.

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.

3"Indeed, He loves the people; All Your holy ones are in Your hand, And they followed in Your steps; Everyone receives of Your words.

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

4"Moses charged us with a law, A possession for the assembly of Jacob.

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

5"And He was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, 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"May Reuben live and not die, Nor 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 regarding Judah; so he said, "Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people. With his hands he contended for them, And may You 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!”

8Of Levi he said, "Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man, Whom You proved at Massah, With whom You contended 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 his mother, 'I did not consider them'; And he did not acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he regard his own sons, 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.

10"They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. 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.

11"O LORD, bless his substance, And accept the work of his hands; Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, And those who hate him, so that they will not rise 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, "May the beloved of the LORD dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day, And he 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.”

13Of Joseph he said, "Blessed of the LORD be his land, With the choice things of heaven, with the dew, And from the deep lying 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;

14And with the choice yield of the sun, And with the choice produce of the months.

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

15"And with the best things of the ancient mountains, And with the choice things of the everlasting hills,

15with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from the everlasting hills;

16And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the head of Joseph, And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished 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.

17"As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his, And his horns are the horns of the wild ox; With them he will push the peoples, All at once, to the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And those 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.”

18Of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth, 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.

19"They will call peoples to the mountain; There they will offer righteous sacrifices; For they will draw out 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.”

20Of Gad he said, "Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad; He lies down as a lion, And tears the arm, also the crown of the head.

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.

21"Then he provided the first part for himself, For there the ruler's portion was reserved; And he came with the leaders of the people; He executed the justice of the LORD, And His ordinances with 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.”

22Of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's whelp, That leaps forth from Bashan."

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

23Of Naphtali he said, "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Take possession of the sea 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.”

24Of Asher he said, "More blessed than sons is Asher; May he be favored by his brothers, And may he 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.

25"Your locks will be iron and bronze, And according to your days, so will your leisurely walk be.

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

26"There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help, And 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.

27"The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from 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!’

28"So Israel dwells in security, The fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also 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.

29"Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places."

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!”

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

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.