1 This is the blessing, wherewith Moyses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
1 This is the blessing, wherewith the man of God, Moses, blessed the children of Israel, before his death.
2 And he said: Our Lord came from Sinai, and from Seir is he risen to us: he hath appeared from mount Pharan, and with him thousands of Saints. In his right hand a fiery law.
2 And he said: The Lord came from Sinai, and from Seir he rose up to us: he hath appeared from mount Pharan, and with him thousands of saints. In his right hand a fiery law.
3 He hath loved the peoples, all the Saints are in his hand: and they that approach to his feet shall receive of his doctrine.
3 He hath loved the people, ¹all the saints are in his hand: and they that approach to his feet, shall receive of his doctrine.
4 Moyses commanded us a law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.
4 Moses commanded us a law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.
5 He shall be king with the most right, the Princes of the people being assembled with the tribes of Israel.
5 He shall be king with the most right, the princes of the people, being assembled with the tribes of Israel.
6 Live Ruben, and die he not, and be he little in number.
6 Let Ruben live, and not die, and be he small in number.
7 This is the blessing of Judas: Hear Lord the voice of Judas, and bring him in unto his people: his hands shall fight for him, and he shall be his helper against his adversaries.
7 This is the blessing of Juda. Hear, O Lord, the voice of Juda, and bring him in unto his people: his hands shall fight for him, and he shall be his helper against his enemies.
8 To Levi also he said: Thy perfection, and thy doctrine be to thy holy man, whom thou hast proved in tentation, and judged at the Waters of contradiction.
8 To Levi also he said: Thy perfection, and thy doctrine be to thy holy man, whom thou hast proved in the temptation, and judged at the waters of contradiction:
9 He that said to his father and to his mother: I know you not; and to his brethren: I know you not: and they knew not their children. These kept thy word, and observed thy covenant,
9 ²Who hath said to his father, and to his mother: I do not know you; and to his brethren: I know you not: and their own children they have not known. These have kept thy word, and observed thy covenant,
10 thy judgments, o Jacob, and thy law, o Israel: they shall put incense in thy fury, and holocaust upon thine altar.
10 Thy judgments, O Jacob, and thy law, O Israel: they shall put incense in thy wrath and holocaust upon thy altar.
11 Bless Lord his strength, and receive the works of his hands. Strike the backs of his enemies, and they that hate him, let them not rise up.
11 Bless, O Lord, his strength, and receive the works of his hands. Strike the backs of his enemies, and let not them that hate him rise.
12 And to Benjamin he said: The best beloved of our Lord shall dwell confidently in him: as in a bride-chamber all the day shall he abide, and between his shoulders shall he rest.
12 And to Benjamin he said: The best beloved of the Lord shall dwell confidently in him: as in a bride chamber shall he abide all the day long, and between his shoulders shall be rest.
13 To Joseph also he said: Of the blessing of our Lord be his land, of the fruits of heaven, and the dew, & the depth lying underneath.
13 To Joseph also he said: Of the blessing of the Lord be his land, of the fruits of heaven, and of the dew, and of the deep that lieth beneath.
14 Of the pomes of the fruits of the sun and moon,
14 Of the fruits brought forth by the sun and by the moon.
15 of the tops of the old mountains, of the pomes of the eternal hills:
15 Of the tops of the ancient mountains, of the fruits of the everlasting hills:
16 and of the fruits of the earth, and of the fullness thereof. The blessing of him, that appeared in the bush, come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.
16 And of the fruits of the earth, and of the fullness thereof. The blessing of him³ that appeared in the bush, come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren.
17 His beauty as of the first born of an oxe, his horns the horns of an unicorn: in them shall he winnow the Nations even to the ends of the earth. These are the multitudes of Ephraim, and these the thousands of Manasses.
17 His beauty as of the firstling of a bullock, his horns as the horns of a rhinoceros: with them shall he push the nations even to the ends of the earth. These are the multitudes of Ephraim and these the thousands of Manasses.
18 And to Zabulon he said: Rejoice Zabulon in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tabernacles.
18 And to Zabulon he said: Rejoice, O Zabulon, in thy going out; and Issachar in thy tabernacles.
19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain: there shall they immolate the victims of justice. Who shall suck the inundation of the sea as milk, and the hidden treasures of the sands.
19 They shall call the people to the mountain: there shall they sacrifice the victims of justice. Who shall suck as milk the abundance of the sea, and the hidden treasures of the sands.
20 And to Gad he said: Blessed be Gad in breadth: as a lion hath he rested, and taken the arm and the top of the head.
20 And to Gad he said: Blessed be Gad in his breadth: he hath rested as a lion, and hath seized upon the arm and the top of the head.
21 And he saw his principality, that in his part the doctor was reposed: which was with the princes of the people, and did the justices of our Lord, and his judgment with Israel.
21 And he saw his pre-eminence, that in his portion the teacher was laid up: who was with the princes of the people, and did the justices of the Lord, and his judgment with Israel.
22 To Dan also he said: Dan a lion's whelp, he shall flow largely from Basan.
22 To Dan also he said: Dan is a young lion, he shall flow plentifully from Basan.
23 And to Nephthali he said: Nephthali shall enjoy abundance, and shall be full of the blessings of our Lord: the sea and the south he shall possess.
23 And to Nephtali he said: Nephtali shall enjoy abundance, and shall be full of the blessings of the Lord: he shall possess the sea and the south.
24 To Aser also he said: Blessed be Aser in children, be he acceptable to his brethren, and dip he in oil his foot.
24 To Aser also he said: Let Aser be blessed with children, let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.
25 His shoe iron and brass. As the days of thy youth, so also thy old age.
25 His shoe shall be iron and brass. As the days of thy youth, so also shall thy old age be.
26 There is no other God as the God of the rightest: the mounter of heaven is thy helper. By his magnificence the clouds run hither and thither,
26 There is no other god like the God of the rightest: he that is mounted upon the heaven is thy helper. By his magnificence the clouds run hither and thither.
27 his habitation is above, and under the everlasting arms: he shall cast out the enemy from thy face, and shall say: Be destroyed.
27 His dwelling is above, and underneath are the everlasting arms: he shall cast out the enemy from before thee, and shall say: Be thou brought to nought.
28 Israel shall dwell confidently, and alone. The eye of Jacob in the land of corn and wine, and the heavens shall be misty with dew.
28 Israel shall dwell in safety, and alone. The eye of Jacob in a land of corn and wine, and the heavens shall be misty with dew.
29 Blessed art thou Israel: who is like to thee, o people that art saved in our Lord, the shield of thy help, and the sword of thy glory? Thy enemies shall deny thee, and thou shalt tread their necks.
29 Blessed art thou, Israel: who is like to thee, O people, that art saved by the Lord? The shield of thy help, and the sword of thy glory: thy enemies shall deny thee, and thou shalt tread upon their necks.