Spoil: this means the people’s possessions, their valuables, which would normally be kept by the victors as a prize of war. Revised English Bible has “goods,” New Jerusalem Bible “loot,” New International Version “plunder.” An alternative translation model for this first sentence may be “Bring [or, Gather] all the possessions of the people who live there and pile them up….”

The midst of its open square: this is the public square or large flat open area, near the town gate. If such a feature is not part of a given culture, something like “the main street” or “a large flat open area in the center of town” can be used.

A whole burnt offering: this is the sacrifice that is completely burned (see Exo 29.18; Lev 6.22-23; 8.21; 1 Sam 7.9).

It shall be a heap for ever … not be built again: never again will a town or city be built on that place; never again will people live there. It will be a desolate ruin forever. An alternative translation model for this sentence is “It must be left in ruins forever and never again rebuilt.” However, it shall not be built again contains the idea that it must be left in ruins. So we may translate simply as “Don’t ever rebuild that town.”

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 .