Deuteronomy 33:3-27

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Deuteronomy 33:3-27 New King James Version (NKJV)

Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words. Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together. “Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.” And this he said of Judah: “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies.” And of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. Bless his substance, LORD, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.” Of Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.” And of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.” And of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.” And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the LORD, And His judgments with Israel.” And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.” And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south.” And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be. “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’

Deuteronomy 33:1-28 The Message (MSG)

Moses, man of God, blessed the People of Israel with this blessing before his death. He said, GOD came down from Sinai, he dawned from Seir upon them; He radiated light from Mount Paran, coming with ten thousand holy angels And tongues of fire streaming from his right hand. Oh, how you love the people, all his holy ones are palmed in your left hand. They sit at your feet, honoring your teaching, The Revelation commanded by Moses, as the assembly of Jacob’s inheritance. Thus GOD became king in Jeshurun as the leaders and tribes of Israel gathered. Reuben: “Let Reuben live and not die, but just barely, in diminishing numbers.” Judah: “Listen, GOD, to the Voice of Judah, bring him to his people; Strengthen his grip, be his helper against his foes.” Levi: “Let your Thummim and Urim belong to your loyal saint; The one you tested at Massah, whom you fought with at the Waters of Meribah, Who said of his father and mother, ‘I no longer recognize them.’ He turned his back on his brothers and neglected his children, Because he was guarding your sayings and watching over your Covenant. Let him teach your rules to Jacob and your Revelation to Israel, Let him keep the incense rising to your nostrils and the Whole-Burnt-Offerings on your Altar. GOD bless his commitment, stamp your seal of approval on what he does; Disable the loins of those who defy him, make sure we’ve heard the last from those who hate him.” Benjamin: “GOD’s beloved; GOD’s permanent residence. Encircled by GOD all day long, within whom GOD is at home.” Joseph: “Blessed by GOD be his land: The best fresh dew from high heaven, and fountains springing from the depths; The best radiance streaming from the sun and the best the moon has to offer; Beauty pouring off the tops of the mountains and the best from the everlasting hills; The best of Earth’s exuberant gifts, the smile of the Burning-Bush Dweller. All this on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the set-apart one among his brothers. In splendor he’s like a firstborn bull, his horns the horns of a wild ox; He’ll gore the nations with those horns, push them all to the ends of the Earth. Ephraim by the ten thousands will do this, Manasseh by the thousands will do this.” Zebulun and Issachar: “Celebrate, Zebulun, as you go out, and Issachar, as you stay home. They’ll invite people to the Mountain and offer sacrifices of right worship, For they will have hauled riches in from the sea and gleaned treasures from the beaches.” Gad: “Blessed is he who makes Gad large. Gad roams like a lion, tears off an arm, rips open a skull. He took one look and grabbed the best place for himself, the portion just made for someone in charge. He took his place at the head, carried out GOD’s right ways and his rules for life in Israel.” Dan: “Dan is a lion’s cub leaping out of Bashan.” Naphtali: “Naphtali brims with blessings, spills over with GOD’s blessings As he takes possession of the sea and southland.” Asher: “Asher, best blessed of the sons! May he be the favorite of his brothers, his feet massaged in oil. Safe behind iron-clad doors and gates, your strength like iron as long as you live.” * * * There is none like God, Jeshurun, riding to your rescue through the skies, his dignity haloed by clouds. The ancient God is home on a foundation of everlasting arms. He drove out the enemy before you and commanded, “Destroy!” Israel lived securely, the fountain of Jacob undisturbed In grain and wine country and, oh yes, his heavens drip dew.

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 King James Version (KJV)

Yea, he loved the people; All his saints are in thy hand: And they sat down at thy feet; Every one shall receive of thy words. Moses commanded us a law, Even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. And he was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people And the tribes of Israel were gathered together. Let Reuben live, and not die; And let not his men be few. And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him unto his people: Let his hands be sufficient for him; And be thou an help to him from his enemies. And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, And with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, Nor knew his own children: For they have observed thy word, And kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, And Israel thy law: They shall put incense before thee, And whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Bless, LORD, his substance, And accept the work of his hands: Smite through the loins of them that rise against him, And of them that hate him, that they rise not again. And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; And the LORD shall cover him all the day long, And he shall dwell between his shoulders. And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, And for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, And for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, And for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, And for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, And upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, And his horns are like the horns of unicorns: With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh. And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; And, Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: For they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, And of treasures hid in the sand. And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: He dwelleth as a lion, And teareth the arm with the crown of the head. And he provided the first part for himself, Because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; And he came with the heads of the people, He executed the justice of the LORD, And his judgments with Israel. And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: He shall leap from Bashan. And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, And full with the blessing of the LORD: Possess thou the west and the south. And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; Let him be acceptable to his brethren, And let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; And as thy days, so shall thy strength be. There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, Who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, And in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms: And he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; And shall say, Destroy them.

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

Indeed, He loves the people; All Your holy ones are in Your hand, And they followed in Your steps; Everyone receives of Your words. Moses charged us with a law, A possession for the assembly of Jacob. And He was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, The tribes of Israel together. “May Reuben live and not die, Nor his men be few.” And this regarding Judah; so he said, “Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people. With his hands he contended for them, And may You be a help against his adversaries.” Of Levi he said, “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man, Whom You proved at Massah, With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah; Who said of his father and his mother, ‘I did not consider them’; And he did not acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he regard his own sons, For they observed Your word, And kept Your covenant. They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, And whole burnt offerings on Your altar. O LORD, bless his substance, And accept the work of his hands; Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, And those who hate him, so that they will not rise again.” Of Benjamin he said, “May the beloved of the LORD dwell in security by Him, Who shields him all the day, And he dwells between His shoulders.” Of Joseph he said, “Blessed of the LORD be his land, With the choice things of heaven, with the dew, And from the deep lying beneath, And with the choice yield of the sun, And with the choice produce of the months. And with the best things of the ancient mountains, And with the choice things of the everlasting hills, And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the head of Joseph, And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his, And his horns are the horns of the wild ox; With them he will push the peoples, All at once, to the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And those are the thousands of Manasseh.” Of Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth, And, Issachar, in your tents. They will call peoples to the mountain; There they will offer righteous sacrifices; For they will draw out the abundance of the seas, And the hidden treasures of the sand.” Of Gad he said, “Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad; He lies down as a lion, And tears the arm, also the crown of the head. Then he provided the first part for himself, For there the ruler’s portion was reserved; And he came with the leaders of the people; He executed the justice of the LORD, And His ordinances with Israel.” Of Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s whelp, That leaps forth from Bashan.” Of Naphtali he said, “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Take possession of the sea and the south.” Of Asher he said, “More blessed than sons is Asher; May he be favored by his brothers, And may he dip his foot in oil. Your locks will be iron and bronze, And according to your days, so will your leisurely walk be. “There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help, And through the skies in His majesty. The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!’

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 New Century Version (NCV)

The LORD surely loves his people and takes care of all those who belong to him. They bow down at his feet, and they are taught by him. Moses gave us the teachings that belong to the people of Jacob. The LORD became king of Israel when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together. “Let the people of Reuben live and not die, but let the people be few.” Moses said this about the people of Judah: “LORD, listen to Judah’s prayer; bring them back to their people. They defend themselves with their hands. Help them fight their enemies!” Moses said this about the people of Levi: “LORD, your Thummim and Urim belong to Levi, whom you love. LORD, you tested him at Massah and argued with him at the waters of Meribah. He said about his father and mother, ‘I don’t care about them.’ He did not treat his brothers as favorites or give special favors to his children, but he protected your word and guarded your agreement. He teaches your laws to the people of Jacob and your teachings to the people of Israel. He burns incense before you and makes whole burnt offerings on your altar. LORD, make them strong; be pleased with the work they do. Defeat those who attack them, and don’t let their enemies rise up again.” Moses said this about the people of Benjamin: “The LORD’s loved ones will lie down in safety, because he protects them all day long. The ones he loves rest with him.” Moses said this about the people of Joseph: “May the LORD bless their land with wonderful dew from heaven, with water from the springs below, with the best fruits that the sun brings, and with the best fruits that the moon brings. Let the old mountains give the finest crops, and let the everlasting hills give the best fruits. Let the full earth give the best fruits, and let the LORD who lived in the burning bush be pleased. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one who was blessed among his brothers. Joseph has the majesty of a firstborn bull; he is as strong as a wild ox. He will stab other nations, even those nations far away. These are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.” Moses said this about the people of Zebulun: “Be happy when you go out, Zebulun, and be happy in your tents, Issachar. They will call the people to the mountain, and there they will offer the right sacrifices. They will do well from all that is in the sea, and they will do well from the treasures hidden in the sand on the shore.” Moses said this about the people of Gad: “Praise God who gives Gad more land! Gad lives there like a lion, who tears off arms and heads. They chose the best land for themselves. They received a large share, like that given to an officer. When the leaders of the people gathered, the people of Gad did what the LORD said was right, and they judged Israel fairly.” Moses said this about the people of Dan: “Dan is like a lion’s cub, who jumps out of Bashan.” Moses said this about the people of Naphtali: “Naphtali enjoys special kindnesses, and they are full of the LORD’s blessings. Take as your own the west and south.” Moses said this about the people of Asher: “Asher is the most blessed of the sons; let him be his brothers’ favorite. Let him bathe his feet in olive oil. Your gates will have locks of iron and bronze, and you will be strong as long as you live. “There is no one like the God of Israel, who rides through the skies to help you, who rides on the clouds in his majesty. The everlasting God is your place of safety, and his arms will hold you up forever. He will force your enemy out ahead of you, saying, ‘Destroy the enemy!’

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 American Standard Version (ASV)

Yea, he loveth the people; All his saints are in thy hand: And they sat down at thy feet; Every one shall receive of thy words. Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. And he was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together. Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few. And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, Jehovah, the voice of Judah, And bring him in unto his people. With his hands he contended for himself; And thou shalt be a help against his adversaries. And of Levi he said, Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with thy godly one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, With whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; Who said of his father, and of his mother, I have not seen him; Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, Nor knew he his own children: For they have observed thy word, And keep thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thine ordinances, And Israel thy law: They shall put incense before thee, And whole burnt-offering upon thine altar. Bless, Jehovah, his substance, And accept the work of his hands: Smite through the loins of them that rise up against him, And of them that hate him, that they rise not again. Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of Jehovah shall dwell in safety by him; He covereth him all the day long, And he dwelleth between his shoulders. And of Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be his land, For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, And for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, And for the precious things of the growth of the moons, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, And for the precious things of the everlasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and the fulness thereof, And the good will of him that dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, And upon the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. The firstling of his herd, majesty is his; And his horns are the horns of the wild-ox: With them he shall push the peoples all of them, even the ends of the earth: And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh. And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; And, Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the peoples unto the mountain; There shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness: For they shall suck the abundance of the seas, And the hidden treasures of the sand. And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: He dwelleth as a lioness, And teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head. And he provided the first part for himself, For there was the lawgiver’s portion reserved; And he came with the heads of the people; He executed the righteousness of Jehovah, And his ordinances with Israel. And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp, That leapeth forth from Bashan. And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full with the blessing of Jehovah, Possess thou the west and the south. And of Asher he said, Blessed be Asher with children; Let him be acceptable unto his brethren, And let him dip his foot in oil. Thy bars shall be iron and brass; And as thy days, so shall thy strength be. There is none like unto God, O Jeshurun, Who rideth upon the heavens for thy help, And in his excellency on the skies. The eternal God is thy dwelling-place, And underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy from before thee, And said, Destroy.

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 New International Version (NIV)

Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction, the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob. He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel. “Let Reuben live and not die, nor his people be few.” And this he said about Judah: “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!” About Levi he said: “Your Thummim and Urim belong to your faithful servant. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah. He said of his father and mother, ‘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. He teaches your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel. He offers incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. Bless all his skills, LORD, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Strike down those who rise against him, his foes till they rise no more.” About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” About Joseph he said: “May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh.” About Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents. They will summon peoples to the mountain and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous; they will feast on the abundance of the seas, on the treasures hidden in the sand.” About Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain! Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head. He chose the best land for himself; the leader’s portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the LORD’s righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel.” About Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s cub, springing out of Bashan.” About Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the LORD and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake.” About Asher he said: “Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days. “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 Amplified Bible (AMP)

“Indeed, He loves His people; All Your holy ones are in Your hand. They followed in Your steps; They accept and receive direction from You. “Moses commanded us with a law, As a possession for the assembly of Jacob. “The LORD was King in Jeshurun (Israel), When the heads of the people were gathered, The tribes of Israel together. ¶“May [the tribe of] Reuben live and not die out, But let his men be few.” And [Moses said] this of Judah: “Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people. With his hands he contended for them, And may You be a help against his enemies.” Of Levi he said, “Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man [Aaron], Whom You tested and proved at Massah, With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah; [Num 20:1-13] Who said of his father and mother, ‘I did not consider them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he regard his own sons, For the priests observed Your word, And kept Your covenant. “The priests shall teach Your ordinances (judgments) to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, And whole burnt offerings on Your altar. “O LORD, bless Levi’s substance (ability), And accept and take pleasure in the work of his hands; Crush and shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, And of those who hate him, so that they do not rise again.” Of Benjamin he said, “May the beloved of the LORD dwell in safety by Him; He shields and covers him all the day long, And he dwells between His shoulders.” And of Joseph he said, “Blessed by the LORD be his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And from the deep water that lies beneath, With the precious fruits of the sun, And with the precious produce of the months. “With the best things of the ancient mountains, And with the precious things of the everlasting hills, With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor and goodwill of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let these blessings come upon the head of Joseph, And upon the crown of the head of him who was distinguished [as a prince] among his brothers. [Ex 3:4] “His majesty is like a firstborn young bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; With them he will gore the peoples, All of them together, to the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And those are the thousands of Manasseh.” Of Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your interests abroad, And, Issachar, in your tents [at home]. “They will call the peoples to the mountain (Mount Carmel); There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they will draw out the abundance of the seas, And the hidden treasures of the sand.” Of Gad he said, “Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad; He lurks like a lioness, And tears the arm and the crown of the head. “He selected the best [land] for himself, For there the leader’s portion was reserved; Yet he came with the leaders of the people; He carried out the justice (righteous will) of the LORD, And His ordinances (judgments) with Israel.” [Num 32:29-33] Of Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub, That leaps forth from Bashan.” Of Naphtali he said, “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Take possession of the sea [of Galilee] and the south.” Of Asher he said, “More blessed than sons is Asher; May he be favored by his brothers, And may he dip his foot in oil. “Your strongholds will be iron and bronze, And as your days are, so will your strength, your rest and security be. ¶“There is none like the God of Jeshurun (Israel), Who rides the heavens to your help, And through the skies in His majestic glory. “The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!’

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 New Living Translation (NLT)

Indeed, he loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands. They follow in his steps and accept his teaching. Moses gave us the LORD’s instruction, the special possession of the people of Israel. The LORD became king in Israel— when the leaders of the people assembled, when the tribes of Israel gathered as one.” Moses said this about the tribe of Reuben: “Let the tribe of Reuben live and not die out, though they are few in number.” Moses said this about the tribe of Judah: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring them together as a people. Give them strength to defend their cause; help them against their enemies!” Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: “O LORD, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots— to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah. The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their own parents. They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children. They teach your regulations to Jacob; they give your instructions to Israel. They present incense before you and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar. Bless the ministry of the Levites, O LORD, and accept all the work of their hands. Hit their enemies where it hurts the most; strike down their foes so they never rise again.” Moses said this about the tribe of Benjamin: “The people of Benjamin are loved by the LORD and live in safety beside him. He surrounds them continuously and preserves them from every harm.” Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph: “May their land be blessed by the LORD with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth; with the rich fruit that grows in the sun, and the rich harvest produced each month; with the finest crops of the ancient mountains, and the abundance from the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its bounty, and the favor of the one who appeared in the burning bush. May these blessings rest on Joseph’s head, crowning the brow of the prince among his brothers. Joseph has the majesty of a young bull; he has the horns of a wild ox. He will gore distant nations, even to the ends of the earth. This is my blessing for the multitudes of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.” Moses said this about the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar: “May the people of Zebulun prosper in their travels. May the people of Issachar prosper at home in their tents. They summon the people to the mountain to offer proper sacrifices there. They benefit from the riches of the sea and the hidden treasures in the sand.” Moses said this about the tribe of Gad: “Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad’s territory! Gad is poised there like a lion to tear off an arm or a head. The people of Gad took the best land for themselves; a leader’s share was assigned to them. When the leaders of the people were assembled, they carried out the LORD’s justice and obeyed his regulations for Israel.” Moses said this about the tribe of Dan: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping out from Bashan.” Moses said this about the tribe of Naphtali: “O Naphtali, you are rich in favor and full of the LORD’s blessings; may you possess the west and the south.” Moses said this about the tribe of Asher: “May Asher be blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his feet in olive oil. May the bolts of your gates be of iron and bronze; may you be secure all your days.” “There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’

Deuteronomy 33:3-27 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)

Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you, when Moses commanded us a law, as a possession for the assembly of Jacob. Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together. “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.” And this he said of Judah: “Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him in to his people. With your hands contend for him, and be a help against his adversaries.” And of Levi he said, “Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah; who said of his father and mother, ‘I regard them not’; he disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed your word and kept your covenant. They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. Bless, O LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again.” Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.” And of Joseph he said, “Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath, with the choicest fruits of the sun and the rich yield of the months, with the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills, with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwells in the bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph, on the pate of him who is prince among his brothers. A firstborn bull—he has majesty, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore the peoples, all of them, to the ends of the earth; they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.” And of Zebulun he said, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents. They shall call peoples to their mountain; there they offer right sacrifices; for they draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.” And of Gad he said, “Blessed be he who enlarges Gad! Gad crouches like a lion; he tears off arm and scalp. He chose the best of the land for himself, for there a commander’s portion was reserved; and he came with the heads of the people, with Israel he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments for Israel.” And of Dan he said, “Dan is a lion’s cub that leaps from Bashan.” And of Naphtali he said, “O Naphtali, sated with favor, and full of the blessing of the LORD, possess the lake and the south.” And of Asher he said, “Most blessed of sons be Asher; let him be the favorite of his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil. Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be. “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy.’