Moses' Blessing - Deuteronomy 33

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Moses' Blessing - Deuteronomy 33

This is the blessing with which Mosheh the man of God blessed the children of Yisrael, in the face of his death.

He said:
“Yahweh came from Sinai,
he dawned from Se'ir for them,
he shone out from Mount Paran.
He arose out of surpassing sacredness
and from his right hand, flashing fire for them.”

So, bosom-friend of the tribes,
all his holy ones are in your hand.
They throng at your feet:
each takes from your words.
Mosheh charged us with Torah,
the inheritance of the congregation of Ya'aqob,
and so he was a king for the Upright One
in the convocation of the leaders of the people,
the mustering of Yisrael united.

“Let Re'uben live, and let him not die,
but his people will be scanty.”

These things he said regarding Yehudah.
“Yahweh, hear the battle-shout of Yehudah
and bring him in among his people.
His forceful hand is for this,
so be respite from his assailants.”

Regarding Levi he said,
“Your Tummim and your Urim
are for a man of your devotion,
which he tested at Maççah,
defended at the Waters of Meribah.”
And it is said,
‘he did not look out for his father or his mother,
did not recognise his brother,
did not know his son’,
for they watched over your words,
and guard your covenant.
“They set out your judgements to Ya'aqob
and your Torah to Yisrael.
They set sacrifical smoke before you
and whole offerings on your altar.
O Yahweh, bless his strength
and accept the work of his hands.
Strike down progeny of those who oppose
and hate him, from arising against him.”

Regarding Binyamin he said,
“Beloved of Yahweh,
may he abide in safety upon he who
enfolds around him all the day:
he settles between his shoulders.”

Regarding Yoseph he said,
“Blessed of Yahweh is his land
with the wealth of the skies, with dew,
and with the deep stretched out below,
with the wealth of the produce of the sun,
and the wealth of the yield of the months,
from the chief of the ancient mountains
and with the wealth of the ageless hills,
with the wealth of the land and her fulness
and the goodwill of the dweller in the thorn-bush -
let this come to the head of Yoseph,
to the crown of one set apart among his brothers,
the Firstborn of his Bull - honour to him.
His horns are the horns of a wild ox:
with them he will thrust away the peoples,
all together to the edges of the land.
They are the ten-thousands of Ephrayim.
They are the thousands of Manasheh.”

Regarding Zebulun he said,
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your arising,
and Yissaskar, in your encamping.
They will call the tribes to the mountain,
where they will sacrifice offerings of righteousness,
for they will suckle the abundance of the seas
and the secret reserves of the sand.”

Regarding Gad he said,
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad.
Leonine he settles down
and tears at a shoulder or head.
He searches out the chief part of it,
for preserved there is the commander's portion.
Then coming with the leaders of the people,
he enacted Yahweh's righteous deeds
and judgements in Yisrael.”

Regarding Dan he said,
“Dan is a lion cub
springing out from Bashan.”

Regarding Naphtali he said,
“Let Naphtali be satisfied with the favour
and full of the blessing of Yahweh.
Let him dispossess the west and the south.”

Regarding Asher he said,
“Asher is blessed among the children:
let him be favoured by his brothers,
and dip his foot in oil.”

Unyielding as bronze may your bindings be
and may your power be like your days.
There is none like El of the Upright One,
Rider of the skies in your succour
and the clouds in his majesty.
A singing-place is Elohim the ancient,
and underneath are unwearying arms.
He drives away the enemy from your presence
and then says, “Destroy!”

So Yisrael will abide in safety:
security is the well-spring of Ya'aqob
in a land of grain and new wine -
see! his sky drips with dew.
O your happiness, Yisrael! Who is like you?
A people delivered by Yahweh -
shield of your succour,
whose sword is your majesty.
Your enemy shrinks before you
and you tread upon his high places.

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