Deuteronomy

Moses gives speeches about laws and the importance of following God before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

Chapter 33

1 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

*This is the blessing that Moses, a man of God, gave to the people of Israel before he died.

2 And 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.

*He said that God appeared from Mount Sinai and arrived from Seir. He shone brightly on Mount Paran and brought 10,000 holy people with him. From His right hand, He gave them a fiery law.

3 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.

*Yes, he really cared about the people; all his holy ones belong to you; they sat at your feet; everyone will get some of your teachings.

4 Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

*Moses gave us a rule, it's the inheritance for God's people, Jacob's group.

5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.

*He ruled as king over Jeshurun when the leaders and the groups of Israel came together.

6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.

*Let Reuben survive and not pass away; ensure his followers are many.

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.

*This means that God should listen to Judah's request and help him connect with his people. Judah needs strong hands to succeed, and God should support him against 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;

*And to Levi, he said, May your special stones, Thummim and Urim, be with your chosen person. You tested them at Massah and fought with them at Meribah's water.

9 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.

*Someone told their dad and mom, "I never saw him. He didn't recognize his siblings or know his own kids." This happened because they followed your rules and kept your agreement.

10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.

*They will teach Jacob about your rules and Israel about your laws. They will offer you fragrant smoke from burned offerings on your altar.

11 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.

*Bless, God, the person's wealth and accept their work. Punish those who oppose or dislike them so they don't rise 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.

*Benjamin's people were told that those loved by God would be safe with them. God would protect them throughout the day and they would live in peace under His care.

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,

*And about Joseph, he said, May the Lord bless his land. This is because it has valuable treasures from heaven, receives life-giving dew, and has deep waters hidden below.

14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,

*And for the valuable fruits that come from the sun, and for the valuable things that come from the moon.

15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,

*And for the main features of old mountains, and for the valuable items in enduring hills.

16 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.

*And for all valuable treasures on Earth and everything it has, and for the kindness of the one in the bush: may blessings be on Joseph's head and on the head of the person who was separated from his brothers.

17 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.

*His greatness is like the firstborn of a bull, and his horns are like the horns of magical horses. With these, he will gather people from all over the world. They are like ten thousand groups from Ephraim and like a thousand groups from Manasseh.

18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.

*God said to Zebulun, "Be happy as you leave," and to Issachar, "Be happy where you live."

19 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.

*They will invite the people to the mountain where they will offer sacrifices of doing what is right. They will get wealth from the sea and hidden treasures 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.

*And about Gad, it was said, May those who make Gad grow be blessed: he lives like a strong lion, tearing limbs with his powerful paws.

21 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.

*He took the first turn for himself since he was sitting in a part of the lawgiver's area. He then arrived with the leaders of the people, carrying out the Lord's justice and judgments with Israel.

22 And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.

*He said about Dan, "Dan is a lion's cub; it will jump 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.

*He said to Naphtali, "Naphtali, you are happy with God's kindness. You have lots of blessings from the Lord. Take the land in 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.

*He said about Asher, "May Asher have many children. May others like his family, and may his family be successful with oil."

25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

*Your shoes will be made of iron and brass, and your strength will be like your days.

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.

*There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides in the sky to help you and shows his greatness up there.

27 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.

*The eternal God is your protection, with endless strength beneath. He will drive away your enemies and tell others to destroy them.

28 Israel 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.

*Israel will live peacefully by itself. The source of life for Jacob's people will be in a land full of food and drinks. The sky will also give them moisture.

29 Happy 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.

*You are blessed, Israel! Who is like you, people saved by God? He is your protection and your strength. Your enemies will be exposed as liars to you, and you will stand over their high places.

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