Moses Blesses the Tribes
33:1-29Ref — Ge 49:1–28
1This is the blessinga that Moses the man of Godb pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2He said:
“The LORD came from Sinaic
and dawned over them from Seir;d
he shone forthe from Mount Paran.f
He came with1 myriads of holy onesg
from the south, from his mountain slopes.2
3Surely it is you who loveh the people;
all the holy ones are in your hand.i
At your feet they all bow down,j
and from you receive instruction,
the possession of the assembly of Jacob.l
when the leaders of the people assembled,
along with the tribes of Israel.
6“Let Reuben live and not die,
7And this he said about Judah:p
“Hear, LORD, the cry of Judah;
bring him to his people.
With his own hands he defends his cause.
Oh, be his help against his foes!”
“Your Thummim and Urimr belong
to your faithful servant.s
You testedt him at Massah;
you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.u
9He said of his father and mother,v
‘I have no regard for them.’
He did not recognize his brothers
or acknowledge his own children,
but he watched over your word
and guarded your covenant.w
10He teachesx your precepts to Jacob
and your law to Israel.y
He offers incense before youz
and whole burnt offerings on your altar.a
11Bless all his skills, LORD,
and be pleased with the work of his hands.b
Strike down those who rise against him,
his foes till they rise no more.”
12About Benjaminc he said:
“May the LORD bless his land
with the precious dew from heaven above
and with the deep waters that lie below;i
14with the best the sun brings forth
and the finest the moon can yield;
15with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountainsj
and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.k
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among5 his brothers.l
17In majesty he is like a firstborn bull;
his hornsm are the horns of a wild ox.n
With them he will goreo the nations,
even those at the ends of the earth.
Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;p
such are the thousands of Manasseh.q”
18About Zebulunr he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and you, Issachar,s in your tents.
19They will summon peoples to the mountaint
and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;u
they will feast on the abundance of the seas,v
on the treasures hidden in the sand.”
20About Gadw he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!x
Gad lives there like a lion,
tearing at arm or head.
21He chose the best land for himself;y
the leader’s portion was kept for him.z
When the heads of the people assembled,
he carried out the LORD’s righteous will,a
and his judgments concerning Israel.”
22About Danb he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
springing out of Bashan.”
23About Naphtalic he said:
“Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD
and is full of his blessing;
he will inherit southward to the lake.”
24About Asherd he said:
“Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil.e
25The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,f
and your strength will equal your days.g
26“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,h
who ridesi across the heavens to help youj
and on the cloudsk in his majesty.l
27The eternalm God is your refuge,n
and underneath are the everlastingo arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,p
saying, ‘Destroy them!’q
28So Israel will live in safety;r
Jacob will dwell6 secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.s
29Blessed are you, Israel!t
Who is like you,u
a people saved by the LORD?v
He is your shield and helperw
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will tread on their heights.x”
The Death of Moses
1Then Moses climbed Mount Neboa from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah,b across from Jericho.c There the LORD showedd him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan,e 2all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,f 3the Negevg and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms,h as far as Zoar.i 4Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land I promised on oathj to Abraham, Isaac and Jacobk when I said, ‘I will give itl to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not crossm over into it.”
5And Moses the servant of the LORDn diedo there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6He buried him1 in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor,p but to this day no one knows where his grave is.q 7Moses was a hundred and twenty years oldr when he died, yet his eyes were not weaks nor his strength gone.t 8The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moabu thirty days,v until the time of weeping and mourningw was over.
9Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit2 of wisdomx because Moses had laid his hands on him.y So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.
10Since then, no prophetz has risen in Israel like Moses,a whom the LORD knew face to face,b 11who did all those signs and wondersc the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officialsd and to his whole land. 12For no one hase ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deedsf that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.