This verse lists seven afflictions in all. There is no complete agreement on the meaning of each one of them. Good News Translation represents all seven by five different terms.

Smite: Good News Translation renders this as “strike.” This is again the use of vivid language; God will attack them.

You throughout this verse and the rest of the chapter means all the Israelites. So in many languages a plural pronoun should be used.

Consumption … fever … inflammation: these are wasting diseases and plagues that will kill them all; there is considerable redundancy in the list. The first affliction appears only here and in Lev 26.16; in English “consumption” means wasting of tissue; it used to refer to the disease called tuberculosis but is no longer used in that sense. Revised English Bible has “wasting disease”; Good News Translation “infectious diseases.” Fever should present no problem in translation. Inflammation appears only here in the Old Testament; Revised English Bible has “ague,” which means an attack of fever or a recurring chill or fit of shivering. Contemporary English Version combines fever and inflammation as “burning fever.” Another way to say this is “very hot fever like a fire.”

Fiery heat … drought: these two may refer to diseases or to weather conditions. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has a footnote: “The exact nature of these afflictions uncertain.” For the first one New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “scorching heat,” New Jerusalem Bible “burning fever,” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “fevers,” BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum “epidemics.” As an alternative for drought the Revised Standard Version footnote has “sword,” which is the word as spelled in the Hebrew text as we have it; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project ({C} rating) all prefer “drought,” but BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum follows the Hebrew with “wars.” Drought is probably the preferred interpretation and is recommended by this Handbook (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). It is very likely that fiery heat goes with fever and inflammation. Good News Translation seems to agree with this interpretation and has “swelling and fever,” while Contemporary English Version has “burning fever and swelling and pain.” Another way to express this is “swelling and burning fever.”

Blasting: New Revised Standard Version “blight” is better; this is an extremely hot wind, so Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje has “scorching winds.”

Mildew: there is general agreement that this is what the Hebrew word means. This disease is caused by a type of fungus that grows on plants after they are hurt by destructive scorching east winds. It was considered a tool of Yahweh’s judgment (Hag 2.17; Amos 4.9). Another way to express mildew is “cause your crops to rot.” The translator should keep in mind that this is not after the harvest, but before the harvest. So if “crops” is understood to mean “harvested grain,” we may say “cause your plants to rot.”

They shall pursue you: more vivid language; the afflictions are pictured as wild animals or relentless enemies. Good News Translation has “These disasters will be with you until you die.”

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 .