Therefore beware is literally “And now, be careful please,” which introduces instructions that the woman is to follow. Therefore beware seems much too threatening for the Hebrew text here. The form of the Hebrew verb here means “be careful” or “take heed,” so a better rendering is “So please listen and do as I say.” Contemporary English Version omits this clause, but it should be kept.

And drink no wine or strong drink means the woman is not to consume any alcohol while she is pregnant. Wine was and is, till today, a standard alcoholic drink in Israel made from the fermented juice of grapes. Israelites also drank beer made from barley. The expression wine or strong drink probably refers to all intoxicants. Though most scholars believe Israelites did not distill liquor, there is some archaeological evidence to the contrary. Many languages have a general term for alcoholic drinks, which can be used here.

And eat nothing unclean: While she is pregnant, the woman is also not to eat any foods that God’s Law says are unclean. See Lev 11 and Deut 14.3-21 for examples. God considered many food items impure, and if they were eaten, they would make the person who ate them unclean, that is, unfit to worship God. Revised English Bible refers to this kind of food as “forbidden.” In some African cultures some foods are called “totem,” that is, they cannot be eaten for fear of some reprisal from supernatural beings. If possible, however, it is better to reflect the Hebrew world-view with its system of clean and unclean items. We might say “and you should eat no food that is unclean [or, impure]” or “… that the Law forbids.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• So please watch yourself. Do not drink any wine or other alcoholic drink, and do not eat any unclean food.

• Be careful not to drink wine or any other alcoholic drink. Be careful not to eat any food forbidden by God’s Law.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .