Moses Blesses the Tribes

1 This is the blessing with which Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the sons of Israel before his death. 2 He said, “The Lord was revealed from Sinai to give the Law to his people, the sons of Israel. He shone in his Glory on Mount Gebalene to give the Law to the sons of Esau. But when they found written in it, ‘You must not be murderers,’ they would not accept it. He appeared in his Glory on Mount Paran to give his Law to the sons of Ishmael. But when the sons of Ishmael found written in it, ‘You must not be thieves,’ they would not accept it. He returned and was revealed on Mount Sinai, accompanied by myriads of holy angels. The sons of Israel said, ‘We will do and obey everything the Memra of the Lord has spoken.’ He stretched his right hand out from the flames of fire and gave the Law to his people. 3 Was it not revealed and known before him that neither the sons of Esau nor the sons of Ishmael would accept the Law? Yet all this was to show his love for the people, the sons of Israel. Myriads of holy angels came down. Though he brought many punishments upon them, they did not rest or stop studying the Law. They were led to the foot of his clouds, setting out and camping at his commands.” 4 The sons of Israel said, “Moses commanded the Law to us; he gave it as an inheritance and possession to the assembly of the tribes of the house of Jacob. 5 A king will arise from the house of Jacob. When he gathers the leaders of the people, all the tribes of the sons of Israel will obey him.”

The Blessing of Reuben

6 “May Reuben live in this world and not die the second death, which the wicked die in the world to come. May his young men be a people strong in number.”

The Blessing of Judah

7 This is the blessing with which Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Judah. He said, “Memra ⟨of the Lord⟩, hear Judah’s prayer, and bring him safely home from battle to his people in peace. May his hands avenge him on their enemies; be his help and support against those who hate him.”

The Blessing of Levi

8 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Levi and said, “You clothed Aaron, the faithful man, with the Thummim and Urim.⁠a You sifted him, and he stood firm under trial; you tested him at the Waters of Strife, and he proved faithful. 9 For it is said of the tribe of Levi, ‘He showed no partiality to his father or mother in judgment. He did not recognize his brothers in the affair of the calf or have compassion on his sons in the affair of Zimri.’ For they kept the word of your mouth and carefully observed your decrees and your Law. 10 They will be fit to teach your judicial ordinances among the house of Jacob and the decrees of your Law to the assembly of the tribes of the sons of Israel. They will offer incense of the finest perfumes to turn away your anger, and they will place a complete ⟨acceptable offering upon your altar⟩. 11 ⟨Lord, bless the forces of the tribe of the sons of Levi, and favorably receive the offering of his hands.⟩ Break the hips of those who hate him; may his enemies be unable to stand before him.”

The Blessing of Benjamin

12 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Benjamin and said, “The Lord’s beloved lives safely near him; he will protect him every day. The sanctuary will be built in his territory, and the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord will dwell in his inheritance.”

The Blessing of Joseph

13 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Joseph and said, “How blessed before the Lord is Joseph’s land, with the best treasures of the heavens above, which send down dew and rain, and with the blessings of the springs below, which rise to water the land’s plants! 14 It produces choice fruits ripened by the sun and yields delicious fruits every month. 15 It produces good fruits through the merits of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are compared to mountains, and through the merits of our mothers, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, who are compared to hills. 16 It produces good fruits through the merits of the land and everything in it, and does the will of the one who made the Glory of his Shekinah dwell in the thornbush. May all these blessings come and become a crown of honor on Joseph’s head, on the head of the man who was king and ruler in Egypt and took care to honor his brothers. 17 The birthright, kingship, glory, and majesty belong to him. Just as firstborn bulls cannot be put to work and wild oxen cannot be brought into slavery by their horns, so the sons of Joseph cannot be brought into slavery. They will be raised up, elevated, and exalted above all the nations of the earth. They go out to war against their enemies and those who hate them, killing kings together with their rulers.” These are the myriads of Amorites killed by Joshua son of Nun, of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim, and the thousands of Midianites killed by Gideon son of Joash, of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh.

The Blessings of Zebulun and Issachar

18 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Zebulun and said, “Rejoice, house of Zebulun, when you go out on business; rejoice, house of Issachar, when you sit in your houses of study. 19 Look! The people of the house of Zebulun will gather together at the mountain of the sanctuary and offer true sacrifices there. For they will enjoy the wealth of maritime trade, and hidden treasures will be revealed to them.”

The Blessing of Gad

20 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Gad and said, “Blessed is the one who has enlarged Gad’s territory. He rests and lives amid battle like lions and a lioness. No nation or kingdom can withstand him. Those he has killed can be recognized among those who were killed: he cuts off the head together with the arm.” 21 From the beginning he saw that a burial place was prepared for him there, set with precious stones and pearls, for Moses, the scribe of Israel, was buried there. Just as he used to go in and out at the head of the people in this world, he will go in and out at their head in the world to come. He carried out God’s righteousness and taught his judicial ordinances to the sons of Israel.

The Blessing of Dan

22 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Dan and said, “Dan is like a lion cub, and the land will drink from the springs that flow from Batanea.”

The Blessing of Naphtali

23 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Naphtali and said, “Naphtali is satisfied with favor and filled with blessings from before the Lord. He will inherit the west and the Sea of Gennesaret and the south.”

The Blessing of Asher

24 Moses, the prophet of the Lord, blessed the tribe of Asher and said, “Blessed above the sons! Among the tribes he will reconcile his brothers with their Father in heaven. The land will produce oil like water, and he will bathe his feet in oil. 25 Look! The people of the house of Asher are bright as iron and strong as bronze; their old age will be like their youth.

Israel’s Blessing

26 There is none like the God of Israel, who has made the Glory of his Shekinah dwell in the heavens and his majesty in the clouds. 27 The Glory of the Shekinah of God has been a dwelling place from the beginning; beneath his mighty arm the tribes of the sons of Israel are led. He will drive your enemies out before you, and through his Memra he commanded that they be wiped out. 28 Israel lived alone in safety, in keeping with the blessings their father Jacob gave them, in a land producing grain and wine. The heavens above them will also send dew and rain down upon them. 29 How blessed you are, Israel! Who is like you, a people whose redemption is near from before the Lord, the shield of your help, the protection of your forces, the holder of your weapons, and the strength of your exalted hopes? Your enemies will be shattered before you. You, my people, sons of Israel, will step on the necks of their kings when you study the Law and carry out the commandments.”