Has taken you and brought you forth: the two verbs describe two actions in sequence; God asserted his dominion over the Hebrews and then delivered them from bondage in Egypt. In this way he made them his own people, exclusively his.

Out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt: see the same description of Egypt in 1 Kgs 8.51; Jer 11.4 (see also Isa 48.10). This is a figure of intolerable suffering; translations in general try to keep the figure, translating variously: Revised English Bible “the smelting-furnace”; New Revised Standard Version “the iron-smelter”; New Jerusalem Bible “the iron-foundry”; New International Version “iron-smelting furnace”; New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “blast furnace.” These all sound somewhat technical, and something more general like “a blazing furnace” or “a red-hot furnace” is surely more effective. However, in many languages it will be necessary to use a simile here; for example, “brought you out of Egypt, where you suffered terribly like being in a red-hot furnace.”

To be a people of his own possession: this is the first time the phrase is used of the people as Yahweh’s possession; elsewhere it has indicated the land of Canaan as Israel’s possession (see 3.28). The fact that they are the LORD’s people is shown by his rescuing them from Egypt. So we may translate “But today you are still the LORD’s people, because he rescued you from Egypt, where you suffered terribly like….”

As at this day: this sounds like a later addition to the text, but its use here does not disrupt the flow of the narrative too much. New Jerusalem Bible has “as you still are today.”

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 .

Furthermore: this is misleading, not justified by the text or context. It is better to start a new paragraph with this verse, as does New Revised Standard Version. The restructuring of Good News Translation can be imitated, “Because of you the LORD was angry with me,” or that of Contemporary English Version, “The LORD was angry with me because of what you said.”

Angry with me: no attempt should be made to soften the vivid language used in the Bible of God’s feelings. For angry or “angered” see 1.34, 37.

On your account: see 1.37; 3.26. In Num 20.12 and Deut 32.48-52 the fault is said to lie with Moses and Aaron.

He swore: see 1.8.

I should not cross the Jordan and I should not enter: this is essentially one action, not two: “I would not cross the Jordan River to enter…” (Good News Translation), or “that he would not let me cross the River Jordan into the….”

That good land: rich, fertile; New Jerusalem Bible “the fine country.” See also 1.25.

Gives you for an inheritance: this is the first occurrence of the noun (see the verb “inherit” in 1.38). The meaning is that the land of Canaan is a gift from God. Since inheritance usually assumes the death of the original owner, it is better not to use it; so Good News Translation “he is giving you” (also Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Contemporary English Version); see also verse 38.

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 .

I must die: New Revised Standard Version “I am going to die,” or Good News Translation “I will die,” expresses the Hebrew better.

In this land: that is, Moab, on the east side of the Jordan.

I must not go over the Jordan: “I will not [get to] cross the Jordan River.”

Contemporary English Version has a helpful model for the first two clauses of this verse: “So I must stay here and die on this side of the Jordan….”

You shall go over and take possession: see 1.8.

For that good land see the previous verse.

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 .

This verse uses the same vocabulary, expressions, and constructions as are used in verses 9 and 15.

The covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you: this is a very full expression. For covenant see 4.13.

A graven image in the form of anything: see verses 16-18.

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 .

A devouring fire: perhaps a simile would be better; for example, “like a fire that burns everything up,” or “like a fire destroying everything in its path” (Contemporary English Version). So the whole sentence may be expressed as “Because Yahweh your God will be like a fire that burns everything before it,” or “Because if Yahweh gets angry with you, he will be like a fire….” This is a vivid representation of Yahweh’s anger.

A jealous God: the adjective jealous in modern English speech always carries bad overtones and means “resentful about and envious of what belongs to someone else”; this meaning is not appropriate when applied to God. Rather the meaning should be “desiring to preserve what is rightly his.” Good News Translation expresses a jealous God as “he tolerates no rivals.” In some languages it will be necessary to make the meaning of “rivals” clear by saying, for example, “Yahweh will not tolerate your worshiping [or, loving] other gods.”

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 .

Verses 25-26 are one sentence in Revised Standard Version; it is better to divide the material into several sentences. This is a stern warning against idolatry and a threat that the Israelites will be completely destroyed if they worship other gods.

When you beget children and children’s children and have grown old in the land: “when you have been [lived] in the land [of Canaan] for a long time, and have children and grandchildren” (Good News Translation). This looks forward to a period of time some forty or fifty years in the future. The verb translated “grow old” need not necessarily refer to old age but more generally to an extended period of time: “after you have lived there many years” is a possible translation. In some languages beget children and children’s children may be expressed as “have children and they give you grandchildren.”

If you act corruptly by making a graven image in the form of anything: the clause if you act corruptly is better expressed as “if you sin” or “do not sin by…” (Good News Translation), or even “do not disobey Yahweh by….”

Doing what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God: “doing what the LORD your God considers wrong” or “… condemns as evil.”

So as to provoke him to anger: “so that he becomes angry with you” (see verse 21, where a different Hebrew verb is used).

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 .

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: the punishment that Moses is about to describe is so severe that he calls the whole universe to listen to what he is about to say. Among other peoples at that time it was common to call upon the gods to witness to what someone was about to say or do; here the whole world, as God’s creation, is to be witness. There is hardly any alternative to using the biblical phrase heaven and earth or else “universe,” “the whole world”; but it should not convey the idea that Moses is calling on all the inhabitants of the Earth to pay attention to what he is about to say, so as to serve as witnesses against the people of Israel. To witness against you today may also be expressed as “to take notice of what you are doing today.” In some languages it will be necessary to supply the content of “what you are doing” as Good News Translation does (“if you disobey me”), or else say “Today I am asking heaven and earth to watch what you do. If you ever make idols….”

The two statements you will soon utterly perish and you … will be utterly destroyed sound like Moses is forecasting total annihilation of the Israelites, leaving no survivors. But as the next verse shows, this is typical exaggeration (hyperbole) and means that many will lose their lives. In languages that do not use the passive voice, we may say “I will cause you all to die”; it is not necessarily God himself who does the destroying.

The land you are going over the Jordan to possess: see verse 22.

You will not live long upon it: the next verse makes it clear that Moses is talking about their deportation or exile to a foreign country, after being conquered by enemy forces.

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 .

The exile of Israelites to other countries is seen as God’s punishment for their idolatry.

The LORD will scatter you among the peoples … the LORD will drive you: again, the repetition gives emphasis in Hebrew. For languages in which repetition does not produce emphasis, a translator may wish to reduce the repetition (see Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). The LORD will scatter you … may also be expressed as “the LORD will make you go in all directions to where you will live among other peoples.”

The verb translated will drive you may have the gentler sense of “lead you” (Septuagint, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible). In this context, however, the harsher sense seems justified (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible), namely “will force you to leave the land.”

You will be left few in number: “only a few of you will survive” (Good News Translation). In the context, the people’s idolatry and their punishment is seen as happening within the next fifty years (see verse 25).

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 .