All these curses: that is, all the disasters or punishments listed in 28.15-68; see 29.20. Another way to express this first sentence is “Then the LORD will stop punishing you; instead he will bring these disasters upon your enemies.”

Put … upon your foes and enemies: see 7.15. The two nouns “foes and enemies” mean exactly the same thing; see New International Version “on your enemies who hate you and persecute you” (similarly Good News Translation). For enemies see 1.42.

Persecuted you: or this may be expressed as “oppressed you” (Good News Translation), “took advantage of you” (New Revised Standard Version), or even “attack you” (Contemporary English Version).

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 repeats statements made elsewhere, using the same language; see 28.1 for the whole verse.

Obey the voice of the LORD, and keep all his commandments: these two clauses mean the same.

I command you this day: Moses is the speaker.

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 .

Make you abundantly prosperous: this is emphatic language, and the exaggerated style should be respected. In certain languages the picture of fruit may be used; for example, “cause you to be very fruitful in everything you do: having many children [the fruit of your body]” and so on.

The work of your hand: see 28.12.

The fruit of your body … your cattle … your ground: see 28.4, 11.

Will again take delight in prospering you: or “will be happy to do good things for you” (Contemporary English Version). See 28.63 for the opposite.

Your fathers: “your ancestors.”

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 repeats the essence of verse 8. Like Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version it will be helpful in a number of languages to begin with the equivalent of the adversative “but”: “But you must….”

Obey the voice of the LORD your God may be shortened to “Obey him [Yahweh].”

For commandments see 4.2; for statutes see 4.1.

Written in this book of the law: see 28.58.

Turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul: see 4.29.

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 .

Not in heaven: that is, not beyond normal human capacity to acquire and understand. In many languages heaven will be expressed as “the sky.”

The rhetorical question Who will go up for us to heaven? is a vivid way of saying that such an idea is foolish. The Contemporary English Version model is a good one: “How can we obey the LORD’s commands? They are in heaven and no one can go up to them.”

That we may hear it and do it: the opposite of this is an unreal possibility. We may also say “So that we may hear them and obey them.”

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 .

Beyond the sea: or “on the other side of the ocean” (Good News Translation), or “across the sea” (Contemporary English Version). This is another way of referring to some distant land.

The question here is similar to that in the previous verses and is used for the same purpose.

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 .

Is very near you: that is, it is accessible, it is understandable. Contemporary English Version has “No, these commands are nearby.”

In your mouth: that is, in language you understand and speak; so we may say “you quote them.”

In your heart: that is, you already know it. Good News Translation reverses the order of the two verbs: “You know it and can quote it.”

So that you can do it: or “so now obey it” (Good News Translation); Contemporary English Version has “All you have to do is obey.”

For similar language to this, see in 6.6-7; 11.18.

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 .

If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God: as the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, this is not in the Hebrew text but in the Septuagint; it is endorsed by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project ({B} rating, stating that the omission is due to a scribal error), and is followed by Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible. Some translations, like New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, follow the Hebrew text in not including the clause. It is recommended that translators follow the Septuagint with a textual footnote as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation do.

Which I command you this day: as in other parts of the book, the day when Moses was giving that discourse (his third speech) in the plains of Moab.

By loving … walking … keeping: this is how the Israelites were to obey God’s law.

Loving the LORD your God: in 6.5 it was stressed that this kind of “love” contains not only the elements of liking and affection, but also devotion and loyalty. If translators cannot find a term that contains all these elements, an expression such as “Love and be loyal [or, faithful] to the LORD” may be required.

The two participial phrases, by walking in his ways and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, are parallel and have a similar meaning. However, if at all possible translators should retain both expressions. In a number of languages a figurative expression similar to by walking in his ways may be used. An example is “walking along his paths,” meaning “to live your life the way he has told you.” By keeping his commandments means “obeying all his laws and teachings.” For commandments, statutes, and ordinances see 4.1, 2.

You shall live and multiply: that is, they will increase in number. Good News Translation offers a good model: “you will prosper and become a nation of many people.”

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 .