Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 This is the blessing that Moses the man of God gave the Israelites before he died.
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Moses, man of God, blessed the People of Israel with this blessing before his death.
2 He said: The LORD came from Sinai: from Seir he shone like the dawn on us, from Paran Mountain he beamed down. Thousands of holy ones were with him; his warriors were next to him, ready.
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He said, God came down from Sinai, he dawned from Seir upon them; He radiated light from Mount Paran, coming with ten thousand holy angels And tongues of fire streaming from his right hand.
3 Yes, those who love the nations— all his holy ones—were at your command; they followed your footsteps; they got moving when you said so.
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Oh, how you love the people, all his holy ones are palmed in your left hand. They sit at your feet, honoring your teaching,
4 Moses gave the Instruction to us— it's the prized possession of Jacob's assembly.
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The Revelation commanded by Moses, as the assembly of Jacob's inheritance.
5 A king came to rule in Jeshurun, when the people's leaders gathered together, when Israel's tribes were one.
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Thus God became king in Jeshurun as the leaders and tribes of Israel gathered.
6 "I pray that Reuben lives, doesn't die, though his numbers are so few."
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Reuben: "Let Reuben live and not die, but just barely, in diminishing numbers."
7 Moses said this to Judah: "LORD, listen to Judah's voice! Bring him back to his own people, strengthen his hands; be his help against every enemy."
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Judah: "Listen, God, to the Voice of Judah, bring him to his people; Strengthen his grip, be his helper against his foes."
8 Then he told Levi: "Give your Thummim to Levi, your Urim to your faithful one— the one you tested at Massah, the one you challenged by Meribah's waters;
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Levi: "Let your Thummim and Urim belong to your loyal saint; The one you tested at Massah, whom you fought with at the Waters of Meribah,
9 the one who said of his own mother and father: ‘I don't consider them as such'; of their siblings: ‘I don't recognize them'; of their own children, ‘I don't know them'— but who obeyed your words and who guarded your covenant!
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Who said of his father and mother, 'I no longer recognize them.' He turned his back on his brothers and neglected his children, Because he was guarding your sayings and watching over your Covenant.
10 They teach your case laws to Jacob, your Instruction to Israel. They hold sweet incense to your nose; put the entirely burned offering on your altar.
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Let him teach your rules to Jacob and your Revelation to Israel, Let him keep the incense rising to your nostrils and the Whole-Burnt-Offerings on your Altar.
11 I pray that the LORD blesses Levi's strength, favors his hard work, and crushes the insides of his enemies so that those who hate him can't fight anymore."
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God bless his commitment, stamp your seal of approval on what he does; Disable the loins of those who defy him, make sure we've heard the last from those who hate him."
12 He said to Benjamin: "The LORD's dearest one rests safely on him. The Lord always shields him; he rests on God's chest."
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Benjamin: "God's beloved; God's permanent residence. Encircled by God all day long, within whom God is at home."
13 Then he told Joseph: "I pray that his land is blessed by God: with heaven's gifts from above, with the deep waters stretching out underneath;
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Joseph: "Blessed by God be his land: The best fresh dew from high heaven, and fountains springing from the depths;
14 with the gifts produced by the sun, with the gifts generated by the moon;
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The best radiance streaming from the sun and the best the moon has to offer;
15 with the best fruit from ancient mountains, with the gifts of eternal hills;
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Beauty pouring off the tops of the mountains and the best from the everlasting hills;
16 with the gifts of the earth and all that fills it, and the favor of the one who lives on Sinai. I pray that all these rest on Joseph's head, on the crown of that prince among brothers.
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The best of Earth's exuberant gifts, the smile of the Burning-Bush Dweller. All this on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the consecrated one among his brothers.
17 A firstborn bull—that's how majestic he is! A wild ox's horns—those are his horns! With them he gores all peoples completely, to the far ends of the earth! His horns are Ephraim's tens of thousands. His horns are Manasseh's thousands."
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In splendor he's like a firstborn bull, his horns the horns of a wild ox; He'll gore the nations with those horns, push them all to the ends of the Earth. Ephraim by the ten thousands will do this, Manasseh by the thousands will do this."
18 Then he told Zebulun: "Zebulun: celebrate when you are out and about; Issachar: celebrate when you are at home in your tents!
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Zebulun and Issachar: "Celebrate, Zebulun, as you go out, and Issachar, as you stay home.
19 They call all sorts of people to the mountain, where they offer right sacrifices. It's true: They're nourished on the sea's abundance; they are nourished on buried treasures in the sand."
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They'll invite people to the Mountain and offer sacrifices of right worship, For they will have hauled riches in from the sea and gleaned treasures from the beaches."
20 Then he told Gad: "May Gad's broad lands be blessed! He lives like a lion: he rips an arm, even a head!
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Gad: "Blessed is he who makes Gad large. Gad roams like a lion, tears off an arm, rips open a skull.
21 He chose the best part for himself because there, where the commander's portion was, the leaders of the people gathered together. Gad executed the LORD's justice and the Lord's judgments for Israel."
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He took one look and grabbed the best place for himself, the portion just made for someone in charge. He took his place at the head, carried out God's right ways and his rules for life in Israel."
22 Then he told Dan: "Dan is a lion cub. He jumps up from Bashan."
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Dan: "Dan is a lion's cub leaping out of Bashan."
23 Then he told Naphtali: "Naphtali—you are full of favor, overflowing with the LORD's blessing— go possess the west and the south!"
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Naphtali: "Naphtali brims with blessings, spills over with God's blessings As he takes possession of the sea and southland."
24 Finally, he told Asher: "Asher is the most blessed of sons. I pray that he's his brothers' favorite— one who dips his foot in fine oil.
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Asher: "Asher, best blessed of the sons! May he be the favorite of his brothers, his feet massaged in oil.
25 I pray that your dead bolts are iron and copper, and that your strength lasts all your days."
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Safe behind iron-clad doors and gates, your strength like iron as long as you live."
26 Jeshurun! No one compares to God! He rides through heaven to help you, rides majestically through the clouds.
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There is none like God, Jeshurun, riding to your rescue through the skies, his dignity haloed by clouds.
27 The most ancient God is a place of safety; the eternal arms are a support. He drove out the enemy before you. He commanded: "Destroy them!"
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The ancient God is home on a foundation of everlasting arms. He drove out the enemy before you and commanded, "Destroy!"
28 So Israel now lives in safety— Jacob's residence is secure— in a land full of grain and wine, where the heavens drip dew.
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Israel lived securely, the fountain of Jacob undisturbed In grain and wine country and, oh yes, his heavens drip dew.
29 Happy are you, Israel! Who is like you? You are a people saved by the LORD! He's the shield that helps you, your majestic sword! Your enemies will come crawling on their knees to you, but you will stomp on their backs!
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Lucky Israel! Who has it as good as you? A people saved by God! The Shield who defends you, the Sword who brings triumph. Your enemies will come crawling on their bellies and you'll march on their backs.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.