Study Desk

Jeshurun^[c](as) grew fat^(at) and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned^(au) the God who made them and rejected the Rock^(av) their Savior.

They made him jealous^(aw) with their foreign gods and angered^(ax) him with their detestable idols.

They sacrificed^(ay) to false gods,^(az) which are not God— gods they had not known,^(ba) gods that recently appeared,^(bb) gods your ancestors did not fear.

You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot^(bc) the God who gave you birth.

The Lord saw this and rejected them^(bd) because he was angered by his sons and daughters.^(be)

"I will hide my face^(bf) from them," he said, "and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation,^(bg) children who are unfaithful.^(bh)

They made me jealous^(bi) by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols.^(bj) I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.^(bk)

For a fire will be kindled by my wrath,^(bl) one that burns down to the realm of the dead below.^(bm) It will devour^(bn) the earth and its harvests^(bo) and set afire the foundations of the mountains.^(bp)

"I will heap calamities^(bq) on them and spend my arrows^(br) against them.

I will send wasting famine^(bs) against them, consuming pestilence^(bt) and deadly plague;^(bu) I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,^(bv) the venom of vipers^(bw) that glide in the dust.^(bx)

In the street the sword will make them childless; in their homes terror^(by) will reign.^(bz) The young men and young women will perish, the infants and those with gray hair.^(ca)

I said I would scatter^(cb) them and erase their name from human memory,^(cc)

but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand^(cd) and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed; the Lord has not done all this.'"^(ce)

They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment^(cf) in them.

If only they were wise and would understand this^(cg) and discern what their end will be!^(ch)

How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight,^(ci) unless their Rock had sold them,^(cj) unless the Lord had given them up?^(ck)

For their rock is not like our Rock,^(cl) as even our enemies concede.^(cm)

Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom^(cn) and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison,^(co) and their clusters with bitterness.^(cp)

Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.^(cq)

"Have I not kept this in reserve and sealed it in my vaults?^(cr)

It is mine to avenge;^(cs) I will repay.^(ct) In due time their foot will slip;^(cu) their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.^(cv)"

The Lord will vindicate his people^(cw) and relent^(cx) concerning his servants^(cy) when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave^(cz) or free.^[d]

He will say: "Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in,^(da)

the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings?^(db) Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter!

"See now that I myself am he!^(dc) There is no god besides me.^(dd) I put to death^(de) and I bring to life,^(df) I have wounded and I will heal,^(dg) and no one can deliver out of my hand.^(dh)

I lift my hand^(di) to heaven and solemnly swear: As surely as I live forever,^(dj)

when I sharpen my flashing sword^(dk) and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance^(dl) on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.^(dm)

I will make my arrows drunk with blood,^(dn) while my sword devours flesh:^(do) the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders."

Rejoice,^(dp) you nations, with his people,^[e][f] for he will avenge the blood of his servants;^(dq) he will take vengeance on his enemies^(dr) and make atonement for his land and people.^(ds)

Moses came with Joshua^[g](dt) son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.

When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel,

he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day,^(du) so that you may command^(dv) your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.

They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.^(dw) By them you will live long^(dx) in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

On that same day the Lord told Moses,^(dy)

"Go up into the Abarim^(dz) Range to Mount Nebo^(ea) in Moab, across from Jericho,^(eb) and view Canaan,^(ec) the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession.

There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die^(ed) and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died^(ee) on Mount Hor^(ef) and was gathered to his people.

This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh^(eg) in the Desert of Zin^(eh) and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.^(ei)

Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance;^(ej) you will not enter^(ek) the land I am giving to the people of Israel."

Moses Blesses the Tribes^(a)

This is the blessing^(b) that Moses the man of God^(c) pronounced on the Israelites before his death.

He said: "The Lord came from Sinai^(d) and dawned over them from Seir;^(e) he shone forth^(f) from Mount Paran.^(g) He came with^[a] myriads of holy ones^(h) from the south, from his mountain slopes.^[b]

Surely it is you who love⁽ⁱ⁾ the people; all the holy ones are in your hand.^(j) At your feet they all bow down,^(k) and from you receive instruction,

the law that Moses gave us,^(l) the possession of the assembly of Jacob.^(m)

He was king⁽ⁿ⁾ over Jeshurun^[c](o) when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel.

"Let Reuben live and not die, nor^[d] his people be few."^(p)

And this he said about Judah:^(q) "Hear, Lord , the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!"

About Levi^(r) he said: "Your Thummim and Urim^(s) belong to your faithful servant.^(t) You tested^(u) him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah.^(v)

He said of his father and mother,^(w) ‘I have no regard for them.' He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant.^(x)

He teaches^(y) your precepts to Jacob and your law to Israel.^(z) He offers incense before you^(aa) and whole burnt offerings on your altar.^(ab)

Bless all his skills, Lord , and be pleased with the work of his hands.^(ac) Strike down those who rise against him, his foes till they rise no more."

About Benjamin^(ad) he said: "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,^(ae) for he shields him all day long,^(af) and the one the Lord loves^(ag) rests between his shoulders.^(ah)"

About Joseph^(ai) he said: "May the Lord bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below;^(aj)

with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield;

with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains^(ak) and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;

with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.^(al) Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among^[e] his brothers.^(am)

In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns^(an) are the horns of a wild ox.^(ao) With them he will gore^(ap) the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim;^(aq) such are the thousands of Manasseh.^(ar)"

About Zebulun^(as) he said: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar,^(at) in your tents.

They will summon peoples to the mountain^(au) and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous;^(av) they will feast on the abundance of the seas,^(aw) on the treasures hidden in the sand."

About Gad^(ax) he said: "Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain!^(ay) Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head.

He chose the best land for himself;^(az) the leader's portion was kept for him.^(ba) When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the Lord 's righteous will,^(bb) and his judgments concerning Israel."

About Dan^(bc) he said: "Dan is a lion's cub, springing out of Bashan."

About Naphtali^(bd) he said: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake."

About Asher^(be) he said: "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil.^(bf)

The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,^(bg) and your strength will equal your days.^(bh)

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,^(bi) who rides^(bj) across the heavens to help you^(bk) and on the clouds^(bl) in his majesty.^(bm)

The eternal^(bn) God is your refuge,^(bo) and underneath are the everlasting^(bp) arms. He will drive out your enemies before you,^(bq) saying, ‘Destroy them!'^(br)

So Israel will live in safety;^(bs) Jacob will dwell^[f] secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew.^(bt)

Blessed are you, Israel!^(bu) Who is like you,^(bv) a people saved by the Lord ?^(bw) He is your shield and helper^(bx) and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights.^(by)"

The Death of Moses

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo^(a) from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah,^(b) across from Jericho.^(c) There the Lord showed^(d) him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan,^(e)

all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,^(f)

the Negev^(g) and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms,^(h) as far as Zoar.⁽ⁱ⁾

Then the Lord said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath^(j) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob^(k) when I said, ‘I will give it^(l) to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross^(m) over into it."

And Moses the servant of the Lord ⁽ⁿ⁾ died^(o) there in Moab, as the Lord had said.

He buried him^[a] in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor,^(p) but to this day no one knows where his grave is.^(q)

Moses was a hundred and twenty years old^(r) when he died, yet his eyes were not weak^(s) nor his strength gone.^(t)

The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab^(u) thirty days,^(v) until the time of weeping and mourning^(w) was over.

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit^[b] of wisdom^(x) because Moses had laid his hands on him.^(y) So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

Since then, no prophet^(z) has risen in Israel like Moses,^(aa) whom the Lord knew face to face,^(ab)

who did all those signs and wonders^(ac) the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials^(ad) and to his whole land.

For no one has^(ae) ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds^(af) that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.