Moses Blesses the People

33 This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave the people of Israel before he died. ²Moses said: “The Lord came from Sinai, like a light shining at dawn over Seir. like a light shining from Mount Paran. The Lord came with 10,000 holy ones. God’s mighty soldiers were by his side.* ³Yes, the Lord loves his people. All his holy people are in his hand. They sit at his feet and learn his teachings! ⁴Moses gave us the Law. Those teaching are for Jacob’s people. ⁵At that time, the people of Israel and their leaders met together, and the Lord became Jeshurun’s* king!

Reuben’s Blessing

⁶“Let Reuben live, and not die! But let there be only a few people in his family group!”

Judah’s Blessing

⁷Moses said these things about Judah: “Lord, listen to the leader from Judah when he calls for help. Bring him to his people. Make him strong, and help him defeat his enemies!”

Levi’s Blessing

⁸Moses said these things about Levi: “Levi is your true follower. He keeps the Urim and Thummim.* At Massah you tested the people of Levi. At the waters of Meribah* you proved that they are yours. ⁹{They cared more for you, Lord, than for their own families.} They ignored their fathers and mothers. They did not recognize their brothers. They did not pay attention to their children. But they obeyed your commands. They kept your Agreement. ¹⁰They will teach your rules to Jacob* They will teach your Law to Israel. They will burn incense* before you. They will offer burnt offerings on your altar. ¹¹Lord, bless the things that belong to Levi. Accept the things he does. Destroy the men who attack him! Defeat his enemies, so that they will never attack again.”

Benjamin’s Blessing

¹²Moses said this about Benjamin: “The Lord loves Benjamin. Benjamin will live safely near him. The Lord protects him all the time. And the Lord will live in his land.*”

Joseph’s Blessing

¹³Moses said this about Joseph: “May the Lord bless Joseph’s land. Lord, send them rain from the skies above and water from the ground below. ¹⁴Let the sun give them good fruit. Let each month bring its best fruit. ¹⁵Let the hills and ancient mountains produce their best fruit. ¹⁶Let the earth give its best to Joseph. Joseph was separated from his brothers. So may the Lord in the {burning} bush give his best to Joseph. ¹⁷Joseph is like a powerful bull. His two sons are like bull’s horns. They will attack other people and push them to the ends of the earth! Yes, Manasseh has thousands of people, and Ephraim has ten thousands.”

Zebulun’s and Issachar’s Blessing

¹⁸Moses said this about Zebulun: “Zebulun, be happy, when you go out. Issachar, {be happy}, in your tents at home. ¹⁹They will call the people to their mountain. There they will offer good sacrifices. They will take riches from the sea and treasures from the shore.”

Gad’s Blessing

²⁰Moses said this about Gad: “Praise {God} who gave Gad more land! Gad is like a lion. He lies down and waits. Then he attacks and tears the animal in pieces. ²¹He chooses the best part for himself. He takes the king’s share. The leaders of the people come to him. He does what the Lord says is good. He does what is right for the people of Israel.”

Dan’s Blessing

²²Moses said this about Dan: “Dan is a lion’s cub that jumps out from Bashan.”

Naphtali’s Blessing

²³Moses said this about Naphtali: “Naphtali, you will get plenty of good things. The Lord will truly bless you. You will get the land by Lake Galilee.”

Asher’s Blessing

²⁴Moses said this about Asher: “Asher* is the most blessed of the sons. Let him be the favorite of his brothers. And let him wash his feet in oil. ²⁵Your gates will have locks made from iron and bronze. You will be strong all your life.”

Moses Gives Praise to God

²⁶“There is no one like God, Jeshurun*! God rides on the clouds in his glory through the skies to help you. ²⁷God lives forever. He is your place of safety. God’s power continues forever! He is protecting you. God will force your enemies to leave your land. He will say, ‘Destroy the enemy!’ ²⁸So Israel will live in safety, Jacob’s well belongs to them. They will get a land of grain and wine. And that land will get plenty of rain. ²⁹Israel, you are blessed. No other nation is like you. The Lord saved you. The Lord is like a strong shield protecting you. The Lord is like a powerful sword. Your enemies will be afraid of you. And you will trample their holy places!”

The Lord came … side Or, “The Lord came from 10,000 holy {angels} where his troops were by his right side.” Jeshurun This is another name for Israel. This name means “good” or “honest.” Urim and Thummim Used by the priest to learn God’s answer to questions. They were probably like lots—stones, sticks or bones that were thrown like dice to make decisions. Massah … Meribah See Num. 20:1–13 for the story. Jacob Another name for Israel. incense Special dried tree sap. Burned to make a sweetsmelling smoke, it was offered as a sacrifice to God. And the Lord will live in his land Literally, “And he will dwell between his shoulders.” This probably means that the Lord’s temple will be in Jerusalem, at the border between Benjamin and Judah’s land. Asher This name means, “blessed” or “happy.”

Moses Dies

34 Moses climbed Mount Nebo. Moses went from the Jordan Valley in Moab to the top of Mount Pisgah. This was across the Jordan River from Jericho. The Lord showed Moses all the land from Gilead to Dan. ²The Lord showed him all the land of Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh. He showed him all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea. ³The Lord showed Moses the Negev* and the valley that goes from Zoar to Jericho, the city of palm trees. ⁴The Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I said to them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.* I have let you see the land, but you cannot go there.” ⁵Then Moses, the Lord’s servant, died there in the land of Moab. The Lord had told Moses this would happen. ⁶The Lord buried Moses in Moab. This was in the valley across from Beth Peor. But even today no person knows exactly where Moses’ grave is. ⁷Moses was 120 years old when he died. He was as strong as ever, and his eyes were still good. ⁸The people of Israel cried for Moses for 30 days. They stayed in the Jordan Valley in Moab until the time of sadness was finished.

Joshua Becomes the New Leader

⁹Moses had put his hands on Joshua {and appointed him to be the new leader}. Then Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom. So the people of Israel began to obey Joshua. They did the things that the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹⁰Israel never had another prophet* like Moses: The Lord knew Moses face to face. ¹¹The Lord sent Moses to do powerful miracles in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh, all his officers, and all the people in Egypt saw those miracles. ¹²No other prophet ever did all the powerful and amazing things that Moses did. All the people of Israel saw the things he did.

Negev The desert area south of Judah. descendants A person’s children and their future families. prophet A person chosen by God to be a special servant.