Moses Blesses the Twelve Tribes

This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:

“ The LORD came from Sinai

and dawned upon us[fn] from Seir;

He shone forth from Mount Paran

and came with myriads of holy ones,

with flaming fire at His right hand.[fn]

3 

Surely You love the people;

all the holy ones [are] in Your hand,

and they sit down at Your feet;[fn]

each receives Your words —

4 

the law that Moses gave us,

the possession of the assembly of Jacob.

5 

So [the LORD] became King in Jeshurun[fn]

when the leaders of the people gathered,

when the tribes of Israel [came] together.

6 

Let Reuben live and not die,

nor[fn] his men be few.”

7 

And concerning Judah he said:

“ O LORD, hear the cry of Judah

and bring him to his people.

With his own hands he defends his cause

but may You be a help against his foes.”

8 

Concerning Levi he said:

“ [Give] Your Thummim [to Levi]

and Your Urim to Your godly one,[fn]

whom You tested at Massah[fn]

and contested at the waters of Meribah.[fn]

9 

He said of his father and mother,

‘I do not consider them.’

He disregarded his brothers

and did not know his own sons,

for he kept[fn] Your word

and maintained Your covenant.

10 

He will teach Your ordinances to Jacob

and Your law to Israel;

he will set incense before You

and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.

11 

Bless his substance, O LORD,

and accept the work of his hands.

Smash the loins of those who rise against him,

and of his foes so they can rise [no more].”

12 

Concerning Benjamin he said:

“ May the beloved of the LORD

rest secure in Him;

[God] shields[fn] him all day long,

and upon His shoulders he rests.”

13 

Concerning Joseph he said:

“ May his land be blessed by the LORD

with the precious dew from heaven above

and the deep waters that lie beneath,

14 

with the bountiful harvest from the sun

and the abundant yield of the seasons,

15 

with the best of the ancient mountains

and the bounty of the everlasting hills,

16 

with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it,

and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush.

May these rest on the head of Joseph

and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.

17 

His majesty [is like] a firstborn bull,

and his horns are like those of a wild ox.

With them he will gore the nations,

even to the ends of the earth.

Such are the myriads of Ephraim,

and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 

Concerning Zebulun he said:

“ Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys,

and Issachar, in your tents.

19 

They will call the peoples to a mountain;

there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness.

For they will feast on the abundance of the seas

and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

20 

Concerning Gad he said:

“ Blessed [is] he who enlarges

[the domain of] Gad!

He lies down like a lion

and tears off an arm or a head.

21 

He chose the best [land] for himself,

because a ruler’s portion was reserved for him there.

He came with the leaders of the people;

he administered the LORD’s justice

and His ordinances for Israel.”

22 

Concerning Dan he said:

“ Dan [is] a lion’s cub,

leaping out of Bashan.”

23 

Concerning Naphtali he said:

“ Naphtali is abounding with favor,

full of the blessing of the LORD;

he shall take possession

of the sea[fn] and the south.”

24 

And concerning Asher he said:

“ May Asher be the most blessed of sons;

may he be the most favored among his brothers

and dip his foot in oil.

25 

May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze,

and may your strength match your days.”

26 

“ There is none like the God of Jeshurun,

who rides the heavens to your aid,

and the clouds in His majesty.

27 

The eternal God is your dwelling place,

and underneath are the everlasting arms.

He drives out the enemy before you,

giving the command,‘Destroy [him]!’

28 

So Israel dwells securely;

the fountain of Jacob lives untroubled

in a land of grain and new wine,

where even the heavens drip with dew.

29 

Blessed [are] you, O Israel!

Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD?

He is the shield that protects you,

the sword in which you boast.

Your enemies will cower before you,

and you shall trample their high places.” 34