Moses Blesses the Tribes of Israel
1 These are the blessings that Moses, the man of God, pronounced on the people of Israel before he died.
2 The Lord came from Mount Sinai;
he rose like the sun over Edom
and shone on his people from Mount Paran.
Ten thousand angels were with him,
a flaming fire at his right hand.
3 The Lord loves his people
and protects those who belong to him.
So we bow at his feet
and obey his commands.
4 We obey the Law that Moses gave us,
our nation's most treasured possession.
5 The Lord became king of his people Israel
when their tribes and leaders were gathered together.
6 Moses said about the tribe of Reuben:
“May Reuben never die out,
Although their people are few.”
7 About the tribe of Judah he said:
“Lord, listen to their cry for help;
Unite them again with the other tribes.
Fight for them, Lord,
And help them against their enemies.”
8 About the tribe of Levi he said:
“You, Lord, reveal your will by the Urim and Thummim
Through your faithful servants, the Levites;
You put them to the test at Massah
And proved them true at the waters of Meribah.
9 They showed greater loyalty to you
Than to parents, brothers, or children.
They obeyed your commands
And were faithful to your covenant.
10 They will teach your people to obey your Law;
They will offer sacrifices on your altar.
11 Lord, help their tribe to grow strong;
Be pleased with what they do.
Crush all their enemies;
Let them never rise again.”
12 About the tribe of Benjamin he said:
“This is the tribe the Lord loves and protects;
He guards them all the day long,
And he dwells in their midst.”
13 About the tribe of Joseph he said:
“May the Lord bless their land with rain
And with water from under the earth.
14 May their land be blessed with sun-ripened fruit,
Rich with the best fruits of each season.
15 May their ancient hills be covered with choice fruit.
16 May their land be filled with all that is good,
Blessed by the goodness of the Lord,
Who spoke from the burning bush.
May these blessings come to the tribe of Joseph,
Because he was the leader among his brothers.
17 Joseph has the strength of a bull,
The horns of a wild ox.
His horns are Manasseh's thousands
And Ephraim's ten thousands.
With them he gores the nations
And pushes them to the ends of the earth.”
18 About the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar he said:
“May Zebulun be prosperous in their trade on the sea,
And may Issachar's wealth increase at home.
19 They invite foreigners to their mountain
And offer the right sacrifices there.
They get their wealth from the sea
And from the sand along the shore.”
20 About the tribe of Gad he said:
“Praise God, who made their territory large.
Gad waits like a lion
To tear off an arm or a scalp.
21 They took the best of the land for themselves;
A leader's share was assigned to them.
They obeyed the Lord's commands and laws
When the leaders of Israel were gathered together.”
22 About the tribe of Dan he said:
“Dan is a young lion;
He leaps out from Bashan.”
23 About the tribe of Naphtali he said:
“Naphtali is richly blessed by the Lord's good favor;
Their land reaches to the south from Lake Galilee.”
24 About the tribe of Asher he said:
“Asher is blessed more than the other tribes.
May he be the favorite of his brothers,
And may his land be rich with olive trees.
25 May his towns be protected with iron gates,
And may he always live secure.”
26 People of Israel, no god is like your God,
riding in splendor across the sky,
riding through the clouds to come to your aid.
27 God has always been your defense;
his eternal arms are your support.
He drove out your enemies as you advanced,
and told you to destroy them all.
28 So Jacob's descendants live in peace,
secure in a land full of grain and wine,
where dew from the sky waters the ground.
29 Israel, how happy you are!
There is no one like you,
a nation saved by the Lord.
The Lord himself is your shield and your sword,
to defend you and give you victory.
Your enemies will come begging for mercy,
and you will trample them down.
Mozus svētī Israēla ciltis
1 Šī ir svētība, ar ko Dieva vīrs Mozus svētīja Israēla dēlus pirms savas nāves. 2 Viņš teica:
“Kungs no Sīnaja nāca,
no Seīra uzausa pār tiem,
no Pārānas kalna atspīdēja,
viņš nāca ar svētajiem pulkiem,
un uguns pie viņa labās rokas – tiem likums!
3 Tiešām, viņš mīl savus ļaudis!
Visi svētie ir tavā rokā,
pie tavām kājām tie krīt,
klausa, ko saki!
4 Mozus mums bauslību deva
par īpašumu Jēkaba sapulcei!
5 Savam mīlulim viņš kļuva par ķēniņu –
kad tika pulcēti tautas galvenie,
kopā visas Israēla ciltis!
6 Lai dzīvo Rūbens un nemirst,
lai viņam ļaužu jo daudz!
7 Un šis par Jūdu. Tā viņš teica:
klausies, Kungs, Jūdas balsi,
pie viņa tautas aizved viņu!
Pats sevi viņš pratīs aizstāvēt strīdā,
jo tu tam palīgs pret ienaidniekiem!
8 Un Levī viņš teica:
lai tavs urīms un tavs tumīms tiek taisnīgam vīram,
ko tu pārbaudīji Masā,
ar ko tu strīdējies pie Merības ūdeņiem,
9 kas saka par savu tēvu un māti:
uz tiem es neraugos! –
kas savus brāļus neatzīst,
kas savus dēlus nepazīst.
Viņš ievēro, ko tu saki,
un tavu derību viņš sargā!
10 Viņš norāda Jēkabam tavas tiesas
un tavu bauslību Israēlam,
viņš liek kvēpināmās smaržzāles tev pie nāsīm,
visu sadedzināmo upuri tavā altārī.
11 Svētī, Kungs, viņa spēku,
lai tev tīk, ko viņš dara!
Satriec gurnus tiem, kas ceļas pret viņu,
un tie, kas viņu nīst, lai vairs neceļas!
12 Par Benjāminu viņš teica:
Kungam mīļotais! Mīt drošībā pie viņa!
Viņš to sargā augu dienu,
starp viņa pleciem tas mājo!
13 Un par Jāzepu viņš teica:
Kunga svētīta viņa zeme
ar debesu dāvanām, rasu
un dzīlēm, kas apakšā mutuļo,
14 ar dāvanām, ko dod saule,
ar dāvanām, kas ik mēnesi ienāk,
15 ar senkalnu virsotnēm
un mūžīgo augstieņu dāvanām,
16 ar zemes dāvanām un visu, kas to pilda!
Lai viņš, kas mīt degošā ērkšķu krūmā,
dod savu vēlību Jāzepam
un viņa brāļa nazīra galvvidum!
17 Kā pirmdzimtais vērsis viņš lielisks,
kā meža vērsim tam ragi,
ar tiem viņš badīs tautas,
it visas līdz zemes malai –
tādi ir Efraima pulki,
un tādi ir Manases tūkstoši!
18 Un par Zebulūnu viņš teica:
priecājies, Zebulūn, kad tu iznāc,
un, Jisašhar, savās teltīs!
19 Ļaudis tie kalnā sauc,
tur viņi upurē taisnības upurus,
jo ūdeņu pārpilnību tie zīž
un apslēptos dārgumus – no smiltīm!
20 Un par Gādu viņš teica:
svētīts, kas vairoja Gādu!
Kā lauva viņš zviln,
elkoni un skaustu pluinī!
21 Viņš sev labāko izraudzījis,
jo tāda ir likumdevēja daļa!
Viņš gāja pie tautas vadoņiem,
Kunga taisnību pildīja
un viņa tiesas ar Israēlu.
22 Un par Dānu viņš teica:
Dāns – lauvēns,
kas no Bāšānas lec!
23 Un par Naftālī viņš teica:
Naftālī sāts labuma,
Kunga svētības pilns –
jūru un dienvidus iemantojis!
24 Un par Ašēru viņš teica:
vissvētītākais no dēliem Ašērs!
Lai ir tīkamākais no saviem brāļiem!
Lai mērc savas kājas eļļā!
25 Dzelzs un varš – tavi aizšaujamie,
cik tev dienu – tik turības!
26 Nav cita tāda kā Ješurūna Dievs!
Viņš jāj debesīs tev palīgā,
savā augstībā pa padebešiem!
27 Senais Dievs – tava mājvieta!
Tu – zem mūžīgiem elkoņiem!
Viņš patrieks tavus ienaidniekus,
viņš ir teicis, ka tos iznīcinās!
28 Droši Israēls vienatnē mājos!
Jēkabs redzēs maizes un vīna zemi,
jā, viņa debesis lāso rasu!
29 Svētīts tu, Israēl! Kurš līdzinās tev?!
Kungs glābis tautu!
Viņš ir vairogs,
kas palīdz tev, viņš – tavas slavas zobens!
Tavi ienaidnieki klups tavā priekšā,
tu viņu augstienes nomīdīsi!”
