Moses Blesses the Tribes of Israel
1 Moses was a prophet, and before he died, he blessed the tribes of Israel by saying:
2 The Lord came from Mount Sinai.
From Edom, he gave light
to his people,
and his glory was shining
from Mount Paran.
Thousands of his warriors
were with him, and fire
was at his right hand.
3 The Lord loves the tribes
of Israel,
and he protects his people.
They listen to his words
and worship at his feet.
* 4 I called a meeting
of the tribes of Israel
and gave you God's Law.
5 Then you and your leaders
made the Lord your king.
6 Tribe of Reuben, you will live,
even though your tribe
will always be small.
7 The Lord will listen to you,
tribe of Judah, as you beg
to come safely home.
You fought your enemies alone;
now the Lord will help you.
8 At Massah and Meribah Spring,
the Lord tested you,
tribe of Levi.
You were faithful,
and so the priesthood belongs
to the Levi tribe.
9 Protecting Israel's agreement
with the Lord
was more important to you
than the life of your father
or mother,
or brothers or sisters,
or your own children.
10 You teach God's laws to Israel,
and at the place of worship
you offer sacrifices
and burn incense.
11 I pray that the Lord will bless
everything you do,
and make you strong enough
to crush your enemies.
12 The Lord Most High loves you,
tribe of Benjamin.
He will live among your hills
and protect you.
13 Descendants of Joseph,
the Lord will bless you
with precious water
from deep wells
and with dew from the sky.
14 Month by month, your fruit
will ripen in the sunshine.
15 You will have a rich harvest
from the slopes
of the ancient hills.
16 The Lord who appeared
in the burning bush
wants to give you the best
the land can produce,
and it will be a princely crown
on Joseph's head.
17 The armies of Ephraim
and Manasseh
are majestic and fierce
like a bull or a wild ox.
They will run their spears
through faraway nations.
18 Be happy, Zebulun,
as your boats set sail;
be happy, Issachar,
in your tents.
19 The sea will make you wealthy,
and from the sandy beach
you will get treasure.
So invite the other tribes
to celebrate with you
and offer sacrifices to God.
20 Tribe of Gad,
the Lord will bless you
with more land.
So shout his praises!
Your tribe is like a lion
ripping up its victim.
21 Your leaders met together
and chose the best land
for your tribe,
but you obeyed the Lord
and helped the other tribes.
22 Tribe of Dan,
you are like a lion cub,
startled by a snake.
23 The Lord is pleased with you,
people of Naphtali.
He will bless you
and give you the land
to the west and the south.
24 The Lord's greatest blessing
is for you, tribe of Asher.
You will be the favorite
of all the other tribes.
You will be rich with olive oil
25 and have strong town gates
with bronze and iron bolts.
Your people will be powerful
for as long as they live.
26 Israel, no other god
is like ours—
the clouds are his chariot
as he rides across the skies
to come and help us.
27 The eternal God
is our hiding place;
he carries us in his arms.
When God tells you
to destroy your enemies,
he will make them run.
28 Israel, you will live in safety;
your enemies will be gone.
The dew will fall from the sky,
and you will have plenty
of grain and wine.
29 The Lord has rescued you
and given you more blessings
than any other nation.
He protects you like a shield
and is your majestic sword.
Your enemies will bow in fear,
and you will trample
on their backs.
1 Nowe this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death, and said, 2 The Lord came from Sinai, and rose vp from Seir vnto them, and appeared clearely from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of Saints, and at his right hand a firie Lawe for them. 3 Though hee loue the people, yet all thy Saints are in thine handes: and they are humbled at thy foete, to receiue thy words. 4 Moses commanded vs a Lawe for an inheritance of the Congregation of Iaakob. 5 Then he was among the righteous people, as King, when the heades of the people, and the tribes of Israel were assembled. 6 Let Reuben liue, and not die, though his men be a small nomber. 7 And thus he blessed Iudah, and said, Heare, O Lord, the voyce of Iudah, and bring him vnto his people: his hands shalbe sufficient for him, if thou helpe him against his enemies. 8 And of Leui he said, Let thy Thummim and thine Vrim be with thine Holy one, whome thou diddest proue in Massah, and didst cause him to striue at the waters of Meribah. 9 Who said vnto his father and to his mother, I haue not seene him, neither knewe he his brethren, nor knewe his owne children: for they obserued thy word, and kept thy couenant. 10 They shall teach Iaakob thy iudgements, and Israel thy Lawe: they shall put incense before thy face, and the burnt offring vpon thine altar. 11 Blesse, O Lord, his substance, and accept the worke of his handes: smite through ye loynes of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not againe. 12 Of Beniamin he said, The beloued of the Lord shall dwell in safetie by him: the Lord shall couer him all the day long, and dwell betweene his shoulders. 13 And of Ioseph hee sayde, Blessed of the Lord is his land for the sweetenesse of heauen, for the dewe, and for the depth lying beneath, 14 And for the sweete increase of the sunne, and for the sweete increase of the moone, 15 And for the sweetenes of the top of the ancient mountaines, and for the sweetenes of the olde hilles, 16 And for the sweetenesse of the earth, and abundance thereof: and the good will of him that dwelt in the bushe, shall come vpon the head of Ioseph, and vpon the toppe of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. 17 His beautie shalbe like his first borne bullock, and his hornes as the hornes of an vnicorne: with them hee shall smite the people together, euen the endes of the world: these are also the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh. 18 And of Zebulun he sayd, Reioice, Zebulun, in thy going out, and thou Isshachar in thy tents. 19 They shall call ye people vnto the mountaine: there they shall offer the sacrifices of righteousnesse: for they shall sucke of the abundance of the sea, and of the treasures hid in the sand. 20 Also of Gad he said, Blessed be hee that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, that catcheth for his praye the arme with the head. 21 And hee looked to himselfe at the beginning, because there was a portion of the Lawe-giuer hid: yet hee shall come with the heades of the people, to execute the iustice of the Lord, and his iudgements with Israel. 22 And of Dan he said, Dan is a lions whelp: he shall leape from Bashan. 23 Also of Naphtali he sayd, O Naphtali, satisfied with fauour, and filled with the blessing of the Lord, possesse the West and the South. 24 And of Asher he saide, Asher shalbe blessed with children: he shalbe acceptable vnto his brethren, and shall dippe his foote in oyle. 25 Thy shooes shalbe yron and brasse, and thy strength shall continue as long as thou liuest. 26 There is none like God, O righteous people, which rideth vpon the heauens for thine helpe, and on the cloudes in his glory. 27 The eternall God is thy refuge, and vnder his armes thou art for euer: hee shall cast out the enemie before thee, and will say, Destroy them. 28 Then Israel the fountaine of Iaakob shall dwell alone in safetie in a lande of wheat, and wine: also his heauens shall drop the dewe. 29 Blessed art thou, O Israel: who is like vnto thee, O people saued by the Lord, the shielde of thine helpe, and which is the sword of thy glorie? therefore thine enemies shall bee in subiection to thee, and thou shalt tread vpon their hie places.