¹This is the blessing, with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. ²He said,

• “Yahweh came from Sinai,
• And rose from Seir to them.

• He shone forth from Mount Paran.
• He came from the ten thousands of holy ones.
• At his right hand was a fiery law for them.

• ³Yes, he loves the people.
• All his saints are in your hand.
• They sat down at your feet;
• each receives your words.

• ⁴Moses commanded us a law,
• An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

• ⁵He was king in Jeshurun,
• When the heads of the people were gathered,
• All the tribes of Israel together.

• ⁶“Let Reuben live, and not die;
• Nor let his men be few.”

⁷This is for Judah. He said,

• “Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah.
• Bring him in to his people.

• With his hands he contended for himself.
• You shall be a help against his adversaries.”

⁸Of Levi he said,

• “Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one,
• whom you proved at Massah,
• with whom you strove at the waters of Meribah;

• ⁹who said of his father, and of his mother, ‘I have not seen him;’
• Neither did he acknowledge his brothers,
• Nor did he know his own children:

• For they have observed your word,
• and keep your covenant.

• ¹⁰They shall teach Jacob your ordinances,
• and Israel your law.

• They shall put incense before you,
• and whole burnt offering on your altar.

• ¹¹Yahweh, bless his substance.
• Accept the work of his hands.

• Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him,
• of those who hate him, that they not rise again.”

¹²Of Benjamin he said,

• “The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him.
• He covers him all the day long.
• He dwells between his shoulders.”

¹³Of Joseph he said,

• “His land is blessed by Yahweh,
• for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew,
• for the deep that couches beneath,

• ¹⁴for the precious things of the fruits of the sun,
• for the precious things of the growth of the moons,

• ¹⁵for the chief things of the ancient mountains,
• for the precious things of the everlasting hills,

• ¹⁶for the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
• the good will of him who lived in the bush *i. e. the burning bush of Exodus 3:3-4..

• Let this come on the head of Joseph,
• on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

• ¹⁷The firstborn of his herd, majesty is his.
• His horns are the horns of the wild ox.
• With them he shall push all of the peoples, to the ends of the earth:

• They are the ten thousands of Ephraim.
• They are the thousands of Manasseh.”

¹⁸Of Zebulun he said,

• “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out;
• and Issachar, in your tents.

• ¹⁹They shall call the peoples to the mountain.
• There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness,

• for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas,
• the hidden treasures of the sand.”

²⁰Of Gad he said,

• “He who enlarges Gad is blessed.
• He dwells as a lioness,
• and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.

• ²¹He provided the first part for himself,
• for there was the lawgiver’s portion reserved.

• He came with the heads of the people.
• He executed the righteousness of Yahweh,
• His ordinances with Israel.”

²²Of Dan he said,

• “Dan is a lion’s cub
• that leaps out of Bashan.”

²³Of Naphtali he said,

• “Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
• full of the blessing of Yahweh,
• Possess the west and the south.”

²⁴Of Asher he said,

• “Asher is blessed with children.
• Let him be acceptable to his brothers.
• Let him dip his foot in oil.

• ²⁵Your bars shall be iron and brass.
• As your days, so your strength will be.

• ²⁶“There is none like God, Jeshurun,
• who rides on the heavens for your help,
• In his excellency on the skies.

• ²⁷The eternal God is your dwelling place.
• Underneath are the everlasting arms.

• He thrust out the enemy from before you,
• and said, ‘Destroy!’

• ²⁸Israel dwells in safety;
• the fountain of Jacob alone,

• In a land of grain and new wine.
• Yes, his heavens drop down dew.

• ²⁹You are happy, Israel.
• Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh,
• the shield of your help,
• the sword of your excellency!

• Your enemies shall submit themselves to you.
• You shall tread on their high places.”