1Før sin død velsignede profeten Moses israelitterne med følgende ord:
2Fra Sinai førte Herren os fremad,
i Seir så vi hans herlighed,
på Parans bjerge hans stråleglans.
Hans hellige titusinder fulgte ham,
da han kom sydfra til Moabs skråninger.33,2 Teksten er vanskelig at tyde og oversættelsen usikker.
3Herren elsker sit folk,
han holder hånden over sine hellige,
de, som følger i hans fodspor
og adlyder alle hans bud,
4alle de love, som jeg pålagde folket,
og som Jakobs slægt fik i eje.
5Herren blev Israels hersker,
dengang folkets ledere samledes,
og alle stammer gav deres ja.
6Herre, lad Ruben leve og ikke uddø,
selvom hans stammetal er lille.33,6 Teksten uklar.
7Herre, hjælp Juda imod hans fjender.
Vær du den, som forsvarer ham.
Bring ham hjem fra krigen i god behold.
Hør, han råber til dig om hjælp.
8Herre, åbenbar ved Urim og Tummim
din vilje for Levi, din trofaste tjener,
som du satte på prøve ved Massa,
og irettesatte ved Meribas vande.
9Han var mere loyal over for dig
end over for sin egen familie.
Han adlød dine befalinger,
var trofast imod din pagt.
10Han skal lære Israels folk dine bud,
Jakobs børn dine love.
Han skal ofre dig duftende røgelse,
bringe brændofre op på dit alter.
11Herre, velsign ham med styrke,
må hans tjeneste være til glæde for dig.
Knus hans fjender, som hader ham,
så de aldrig rejser sig imod ham igen.
12Benjamin er Herrens yndling,
han kan trygt hvile sig.
Han beskyttes dagen lang,
han omsluttes af Herrens arme.
13Herren velsigne Josefs land,
med himlens regn og jordens kilder.
14med solmoden frugt og rigelig afgrøde,
15med det bedste fra de ældgamle bjerge,
med en herlig høst fra de evige høje,
16med alt det bedste, som jorden rummer,
med nåde fra ham, som talte til mig ved tornebusken.
Velsignet er Josef som leder blandt sit folk,
som fyrste over sine brødre.
17Han er stærk som tyren,
har horn som vildoksen.
Han gennemborer fjenderne,
jager dem på flugt til jordens ender.
Efraims mægtige hær er hans styrke,
Manasses talstærke folk kæmper tappert.
18Zebulon bliver velsignet på sine handelsrejser.
Issakars telte vil bugne af gods og guld.
19De vil samle folkene på bjerget
og i fællesskab bringe ofre til Herren.
De bringer havets rigdomme i hus
og graver skatte op af sandet.
20Tak, Herre, at du giver god plads til Gads stamme.
Som løven ligger Gad på lur,
parat til at rive fjendens hoved eller arm af.
21Han valgte den bedste del af landet,
et område, der passer sig for en leder.
Når Israels ledere er samlet,
er Gad parat til at handle på Herrens bud.
22Dan er som en løveunge,
der springer frem fra Bashan.
23Naftali er mæt af velsignelse
og fyldt med Herrens nåde.
Han får søen og solsiden33,23 Betydningen usikker. Søen henviser til Galilæasøen, idet Naftalis område blev nord for og ned til denne sø. Solsiden kan også betyde sydsiden. i eje.
24Asher er en særlig velsignet søn,
en yndling blandt sine brødre,
hans land vil blive fyldt med oliven.
25Hans byer har porte af jern og bronze,
hans styrke vil vare, så længe han lever.
26Der er ingen som Israels Gud.
Han farer frem over himlen for at hjælpe,
han rider på skyerne som en konge.
27Den evige Gud er din tilflugt,
hans evige arme holder dig oppe.
Han jager fjenden på flugt foran dig
og befaler dig at udslette ham.
28Israel skal bo i tryghed,
Jakobs børn får egen bolig
i et land fyldt med korn og vin,
hvor himlen drypper af væde.
29Israel, hvor er du velsignet,
et folk, der befries af Herren selv.
Han er dit skjold og din redning,
han er dit sejrende sværd.
Dine fjender bøjer sig i støvet for dig,
men du udsletter dem.33,29 Septuaginta siger: „træde på nakken af dem”, hvilket er symbol på total sejr over og ydmygelse af fjenden. Den masoretiske tekst siger: „du vil træde deres høje ned.” Dette henviser enten til de befæstede byer, bygget på højene, eller på afgudsbilleder, der også var anbragt på bakker og høje.
1And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.33.2 a fiery…: Heb. a fire of law 3Yea, 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. 4Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. 5And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
6¶ Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
7¶ 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.
8¶ 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; 9Who 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. 10They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.33.10 They shall teach: or, Let them teach33.10 they shall put: or, let them put33.10 before…: Heb. at thy nose 11Bless, 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.
12¶ 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.
13¶ 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, 14And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,33.14 put: Heb. thrust33.14 moon: Heb. moons 15And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, 16And 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. 17His 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.33.17 unicorns: Heb. an unicorn
18¶ And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents. 19They 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.
20¶ 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. 21And 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.33.21 seated: Heb. cieled
22¶ And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
23¶ 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.
24¶ 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. 25Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.33.25 Thy shoes: or, Under thy shoes
26¶ There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. 27The 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. 28Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. 29Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.33.29 found…: or, subdued
