His hire: that is, his pay, wages, salary.

Before the sun goes down: so he will have money as he goes home. He would be working until dark.

He is poor and sets his heart upon it: that is, he depends on the money he will be paid every day. New International Version has “is counting on it,” the Septuagint “places his hope on it” (similarly Good News Translation), Contemporary English Version “need the money to survive.”

Lest he cry against you to the LORD: that is, “so that he will not ask the LORD to punish you.” It will be helpful to add “If you do not pay him on time” to the clause “ask the LORD to punish you” (see below).

It be sin in you: this is the opposite of “righteousness” at the end of verse 13.

An alternative translation model for this verse may be:

• Each day before sunset you must pay him for the work he has done. He is a poor person and needs that money to survive. If you do not pay him on time, he will complain about you to Yahweh, who will punish you for your sin.

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 .