| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. | 1This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his death: |
| 2He said: A Historical Review The LORD came from Sinai and revealed himself to Israel from Seir. He appeared in splendor from Mount Paran, and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. With his right hand he gave a fiery law to 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. |
| 3Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words. | 3Indeed, he loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands. They follow in his steps and accept his teaching. |
| 4Moses delivered to us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. | 4Moses gave us the LORD’s instruction, the special possession of the people of Israel. |
| 5The LORD was king over Jeshurun, when the leaders of the people assembled, 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.” |
| 6May Reuben live and not die, and may his people multiply. | 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 is the blessing 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. | 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: Your Thummim and Urim belong to your godly one, whose authority you challenged at Massah, and with whom you argued 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. |
| 9He said to his father and mother, "I have not seen him," and he did not acknowledge his own brothers or know his own children, for they kept your word, and guarded 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 will teach Jacob your ordinances and Israel your law; they will offer incense as a pleasant odor, and a whole offering 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 goods, and be pleased with his efforts; undercut the legs of any who attack him, and of those who hate him, so that they cannot stand. | 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 will live safely by him; he protects him all the time, and the LORD places him on his chest. | 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: May the LORD bless his land with the harvest produced by the sky, by the dew, and by the depths crouching 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 harvest produced by the daylight and by the moonlight; | 14with the rich fruit that grows in the sun, and the rich harvest produced each month; |
| 15with the best of the ancient mountains and the harvest produced by the age-old hills; | 15with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from the everlasting hills; |
| 16with the harvest of the earth and its fullness and the pleasure of him who resided in the burning bush. May blessing rest on Joseph's head, and on the top of the head of the one set apart from 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. |
| 17May 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, 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.” |
| 18Of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, when you go outside, and Issachar, when you are 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 will summon peoples to the mountain, there they will sacrifice proper sacrifices; for they will enjoy the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the shores. | 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 be the one who enlarges Gad. Like a lioness he will dwell; he will tear at an arm--indeed, a 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 has selected the best part for himself, for the portion of the ruler is set aside there; he came with the leaders of the people, he obeyed the righteous laws 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 cub; he will leap 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, overflowing with favor, and full of the LORD's blessing, possess the west and 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: Asher is blessed with children, may he be favored by his brothers and may he dip his foot in olive 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. |
| 25The bars of your gates will be made of iron and bronze, and may you have lifelong strength. | 25May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze; may you be secure all your days.” |
| 26There is no one like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the sky to help you, on the clouds in 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 everlasting God is a refuge, and underneath you are his eternal arms; he has driven out enemies before you, and has 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!’ |
| 28Israel lives in safety, the fountain of Jacob is quite secure, in a land of grain and new wine; indeed, its heavens rain 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. |
| 29You 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. | 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!” |
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