This verse is almost the same as 15.15.

These statutes: see 4.1.

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 list of those who are to be included in the joyful celebration is the same as in verse 11.

Here the verse ends with who are within your towns, whereas in verse 11 it is who are among you; the slight difference should be respected in translation.

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 week-long festival in honor of the LORD was celebrated at the central sanctuary.

Because the LORD your God will bless you: this gives the reason for celebrating the festival as such. It may be better to place this at the beginning of the verse.

All your produce: this includes all kinds of agricultural produce: grains, wine, olive oil, figs, and so on.

All the work of your hands: see 14.29. An alternative translation model for this first part of this verse is:

• Because the LORD your God has helped you to have much produce [or, fruit] and be successful in all you do….

You will be altogether joyful: again the note of thanksgiving and joy is struck (see verse 11).

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 16-17 are a summary statement about these three major festivals (see Exo 23.17; 34.23), making it clear that all Jewish males (twenty years and older) had to be present at the central sanctuary.

Appear before the LORD your God: be present at the place of worship.

At the place which he will choose: the central sanctuary. For this first sentence Good News Translation has “All the men of your nation are to come to worship the LORD three times a year at the one place of worship.” As indicated at the beginning of this chapter, “your” may be also rendered as “our [inclusive].” However, another possibility is “all Israelite men.” So Contemporary English Version has “Each year there are three festivals when all Israelite men must go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped.”

They shall not appear … empty-handed: see 15.13. This can be stated in a positive form: “Everyone shall take something to offer to the LORD.”

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 .

Every man shall give as he is able: this verse is like verse 10.

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 .

From the third person at the end of verse 18, referring to judges and officers, the narrative switches to the second person (singular), addressing the people as a whole. It may be better to keep in this verse the third person plural of verse 18b, as Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje does, since it deals with the duties of the judges and officers in particular. However, Contemporary English Version offers the alternative “Those of you that become judges.”

You shall not pervert justice: there are various ways to speak of the miscarriage of justice. This is a general rule that can be expressed in a positive way: “Justice is to be administered fairly and equitably”; or “Justice is to be administered without fear or favor”; or even “They must judge [or, rule] fairly.”

You shall not show partiality: this is one particular form of miscarriage of justice; it is not being impartial, but favoring one person over the other. See “righteous judgment” in the previous verse.

You shall not take a bribe: there are many vivid expressions for bribery; for example, Spanish mordida, “bite.”

A bribe blinds the eyes of the wise: this expression is used in a figurative sense; it has to do with moral judgment. “A bribe makes it difficult for a wise judge to hand down the right decision.” Another possible translation is “A bribe makes a wise judge close his eyes to what is right.”

Subverts the cause of the righteous: that is, the cause (or, case) of an innocent person on trial is subverted when judges accept bribes. Subverts means to undermine or weaken (the cause of justice). So Good News Translation has “and cause them to give wrong decisions.”

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 .

Here it is possible to go back to the second person of the text, addressing the people as a whole.

Justice, and only justice, you shall follow: the Hebrew text says simply “Justice, justice [you must pursue].” True, fair, impartial justice must be the sole aim of the Israelites. Good News Translation has “Always be fair and just.”

That you may live and inherit the land: this does not mean “live long enough to inherit the land”; rather, it means that if they pursue justice they will go on living in the land of Canaan (see 5.16; 11.31). And here the verb inherit is an inappropriate translation of the Hebrew verb, which is used many times in the sense of “take possession of” (see 11.8, 10, 29; 12.1). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New Revised Standard Version translate “occupy”; New International Version has “possess.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• People of Israel, if you want to occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and continue to live there, you must always treat people fairly and justly.

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 .

Deut 16.21-22

Plant any tree as an Asherah: this is not a good translation. The Hebrew noun here does not mean a tree but a pole; in relation to Asherah (see 7.5) the meaning is that a sacred pole should not be erected, or fixed into the ground, next to the altar used in the worship of Yahweh. So New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “You shall not set up a sacred post”; Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje uses the compound “a post-idol.”

The altar of the LORD your God: the altar used in the worship of Yahweh, on which animals were offered in sacrifice. For altar see 7.5, and for LORD your God see 1.6.

Set up a pillar: this is a stone pillar (see 7.5).

The LORD your God hates: see 12.31.

An alternative translation model for verses 21-22 is:

• When you make an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD your God, don’t set up near it a sacred pole for worshiping the female god [or, goddess] Asherah. And don’t set up a sacred stone pillar. The LORD hates these things.

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 .

With the beginning of a new section, translators are advised to begin the first verse with something like “Moses said to the Israelites….”

The same prohibition You shall not sacrifice …, using almost exactly the same words, appears in 15.21. For sacrifice see 12.6.

An ox or a sheep: rather, “cattle or sheep” (see 5.14).

Blemish: see 15.21. The two words, blemish and defect, are close synonyms in this context. If a distinction is needed in a language, the first term can refer to a physical defect, while the second can be more general, “anything bad.”

For abomination see 7.25.

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 .