The Wilderness Years

For it is no vaine worde concerning you, but it is your life, and by this worde ye shall prolong your dayes in the land, whither yee go ouer Iorden to possesse it.

And the Lord spake vnto Moses the selfe same day, saying,

Goe vp into the mountaine of Abarim, vnto the mount Nebo, which is in the lande of Moab, that is ouer against Iericho: and beholde the lande of Canaan, which I giue vnto the children of Israel for a possession,

And die in the mount which thou goest vp vnto, and thou shalt be gathered vnto thy people, as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered vnto his people,

Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel, at the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the wildernesse of Zin: for ye sanctified me not among the children of Israel.

Thou shalt therefore see the lande before thee, but shalt not go thither, I meane, into the land which I giue the children of Israel.

Nowe this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death, and said,

The Lord came from Sinai, and rose vp from Seir vnto them, and appeared clearely from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of Saints, and at his right hand a firie Lawe for them.

Though hee loue the people, yet all thy Saints are in thine handes: and they are humbled at thy foete, to receiue thy words.

Moses commanded vs a Lawe for an inheritance of the Congregation of Iaakob.

Then he was among the righteous people, as King, when the heades of the people, and the tribes of Israel were assembled.

Let Reuben liue, and not die, though his men be a small nomber.

And thus he blessed Iudah, and said, Heare, O Lord, the voyce of Iudah, and bring him vnto his people: his hands shalbe sufficient for him, if thou helpe him against his enemies.

And of Leui he said, Let thy Thummim and thine Vrim be with thine Holy one, whome thou diddest proue in Massah, and didst cause him to striue at the waters of Meribah.

Who said vnto his father and to his mother, I haue not seene him, neither knewe he his brethren, nor knewe his owne children: for they obserued thy word, and kept thy couenant.

They shall teach Iaakob thy iudgements, and Israel thy Lawe: they shall put incense before thy face, and the burnt offring vpon thine altar.

Blesse, O Lord, his substance, and accept the worke of his handes: smite through ye loynes of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not againe.

Of Beniamin he said, The beloued of the Lord shall dwell in safetie by him: the Lord shall couer him all the day long, and dwell betweene his shoulders.

And of Ioseph hee sayde, Blessed of the Lord is his land for the sweetenesse of heauen, for the dewe, and for the depth lying beneath,

And for the sweete increase of the sunne, and for the sweete increase of the moone,

And for the sweetenes of the top of the ancient mountaines, and for the sweetenes of the olde hilles,

And for the sweetenesse of the earth, and abundance thereof: and the good will of him that dwelt in the bushe, shall come vpon the head of Ioseph, and vpon the toppe of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

His beautie shalbe like his first borne bullock, and his hornes as the hornes of an vnicorne: with them hee shall smite the people together, euen the endes of the world: these are also the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.

And of Zebulun he sayd, Reioice, Zebulun, in thy going out, and thou Isshachar in thy tents.

They shall call ye people vnto the mountaine: there they shall offer the sacrifices of righteousnesse: for they shall sucke of the abundance of the sea, and of the treasures hid in the sand.