Deuteronomy 33

EasyEnglish Bible

‘The Lord came from Sinai.
He appeared to his people
    like the sun that rises over the hills of Edom.
    He shone on his people from Mount Paran.
Thousands of angels came with him.
In his right hand, he held his Law that burned with fire.
³ Yes, the Lord loves his people.
    He takes care of all his holy people.
They sit near to him and they listen to his teaching.
⁴ Moses gave us the Lord's teaching.
It is very valuable to us, the descendants of Jacob.
⁵ When the leaders of the people and all the tribes met together,
    the Lord became king of Israel.^[a]

⁶ I pray this for the tribe of Reuben:
May they continue to live and have many descendants.

⁷ I pray this for the tribe of Judah:
Lord, please listen to their prayers for help.
    May they join again with the other tribes.
Please make them strong,
    so that they can fight against their enemies.

⁸ I pray this for the tribe of Levi:
Lord, your Urim and Thummim belong to your faithful servants, the Levites.
You tested them at Massah.
    You argued with them at the springs of water at Meribah.^[b]
9 The Levites left their own families
    so that they could serve you well.
They obeyed your word.
    They were faithful to your covenant.
¹⁰ They teach your rules and your laws to Jacob's descendants, the Israelites.
They offer incense to you, as a sweet smell.
    They burn offerings on your altar.
¹¹ Lord, please bless their work.
    May everything that they do give you pleasure.
Knock down anyone who attacks them.
    Destroy all their enemies completely.

¹² I pray this for the tribe of Benjamin:
The Lord loves the tribe of Benjamin.
    They will live with him and they will be safe.
The Lord protects them all the time.
    He keeps them near to him.

¹³ I pray this for the tribe of Joseph:
Lord, please bless their land.
Send rain from the sky above,
    and springs of water from under the ground.
¹⁴ May the sun give them a good harvest of food,
    with the best crops every month.
¹⁵ May they have a harvest of good fruits
    from the mountains and hills that have been there since long ago.
¹⁶ Please fill their land with many good things.
Lord who appeared in the burning bush,
    please be kind to them.
Please bless Joseph's descendants.
He became a leader, separate from his brothers.
    May this blessing be like a crown on his head!
¹⁷ Joseph is as strong as a bull.
    He has horns like a wild ox.
Those two horns are the armies of Ephraim and Manasseh!^[c]
With them, he attacks other nations.
    He chases them to the edges of the world.

¹⁸ I pray this for the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar:
Be happy, Zebulun's people, as you travel far from home.
Be happy, Issachar's people, as you live in your homes.
¹⁹ They will call other people to come to their mountain.
    They will offer the right sacrifices there.
They will become rich from their work on the seas,
    and from things that are hidden in the sand on the shore.

²⁰ I pray this for the tribe of Gad:
Praise the Lord, who will give more land to Gad's people!
Gad lives there like a hungry lion.
    He will tear off the arm or the head of his enemies.
²¹ He has chosen the best part of the land for himself.
When Israel's leaders met together,
    Gad's tribe received the land that a leader deserves.
Gad's people obeyed the Lord's good laws.
    They obeyed the Lord's commands for Israel.

²² I pray this for the tribe of Dan:
Dan's tribe is like a young lion.
    They jump out from Bashan to attack their enemies.

²³ I pray this for the tribe of Naphtali:
The Lord has blessed Naphtali's tribe very much.
    He has been very kind to them.
Land in the west and in the south will belong to them.

²⁴ I pray this for the tribe of Asher:
May the Lord bless Asher's tribe more than the other tribes.
    May their brothers be pleased with them.
May Asher's people be rich enough to wash their feet in olive oil.
²⁵ They will use iron and bronze to make the gates of their towns strong.
    May they be strong for as long as they live.

²⁶ Israelites, there is no god like your God.^[d]
    He rides across the sky to help you.
    He travels with great authority on the clouds.
²⁷ He is the God who lives for ever.
    He is the safe place where you can hide.
His strong arms are always there, to hold you safely.
He will chase away your enemies as you attack them.
    He says to you, “Destroy them!”
²⁸ So Israel's people can now live safely.
    Jacob's descendants have a safe place to live.
They have a land that will give them grain and wine.
    Rain falls from the sky to make the ground wet.

²⁹ Israelites, how happy you are!
    There is no other nation like you.
The Lord himself has rescued you.
He is the one who keeps you safe, like a soldier's shield.
He is like a sword that you use to win against your enemies.
Your enemies will fall down with fear in front of you.
    You will walk all over them.’