In this statement there is the same passive construction used in the previous verse: shall be given.

Your sons and daughters shall be given to another people: that is, they will be taken as prisoners of war to some foreign country. Good News Translation adds “as slaves,” which is permissible; they certainly wouldn’t be taken to foreign countries to become citizens! In languages that do not use the passive, we may say, for example, “I will give your sons and daughters to foreigners while you watch.”

Your eyes look on: “in your presence,” or “as you watch.”

Fail with longing for them all the day: an expressive figure of speech (see Lam 4.17). They will look and look, in vain, for the return of their children. New International Version has “you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day”; a better way of rendering this may be “… as you watch, day after day, for them to return home.”

It shall not be in the power of your hand to prevent it: that is, you won’t be able to prevent them from being taken into exile to a foreign country. Or, as Bible en français courant translates, “you won’t be able to effect their return,” or Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “you won’t be able to do anything to bring them back.” This seems to be the better choice.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .