And Moses summoned all Israel: it is not necessary to preserve And in translation, unless it is a natural feature of the language. “Moses called all the people of Israel to meet with him.”

“Hear, O Israel, all the statutes and ordinances…”: this may be expressed as “People of Israel [or, Israelites], listen to….” For statutes and ordinances see 4.1.

Which I speak in your hearing this day: that is, “that I am announcing [or, proclaiming] to you today [or, now],” “that I am giving you today” (Good News Translation), or “Today I am telling you the laws that you…” (Contemporary English Version). The phrase in your hearing is quite repetitive and unnatural in today’s English, and perhaps in some other languages as well. The language should be natural and conform to normal style.

You shall learn them and be careful to do them: or “you must learn them and obey them faithfully” or “learn them and be sure that you obey them” (Good News Translation). See similar commands in 4.2, 5, 6.

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 .

Moses continues speaking. Since most translations will have a break here, with a title for the section 6.1-9, as in Good News Translation, it may be good to start anew (with closing quotes at the end of 5.33 if necessary), as follows: “Moses continued to speak to the Israelites:….”

Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances: this construction is like the one in 5.31, and here the translator may follow the same procedure as there; see Bible en français courant: “These are the commandments, the laws, and the rules” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “And this is the Instruction—the laws and the rules—that the LORD…” (similarly New Revised Standard Version), taking the first word commandment to be general, including the two terms statutes and ordinances that follow. The Handbook recommends that translators follow Bible en français courant. However, if there are insufficient suitable terms in a language, we may say, for example, “These are the laws and teachings” (Contemporary English Version), or even “These are all the laws” (Good News Translation). For commandment see 4.2; statutes and ordinances, 4.1.

The LORD your God commanded me to teach you: Yahweh gave the Law to Moses and ordered him to teach it to the Israelites; your and you are plural in the Hebrew text. The verb for teach should be a general one if possible, and not make the reader think of a classroom with a teacher and students; Moses was to announce these laws in the hearing of the people. For the LORD your God see 1.6.

That you may do them: instead of that, meaning “in order that,” it is often better to join this closely with the previous verb, as New Revised Standard Version does: “… that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to follow.” To do a commandment is to obey it, put it into practice. Something like the following may serve as a model: “These are the commandments, the laws and the rules that the LORD your God ordered me to teach you to obey.”

In the land to which you are going over, to possess it: this wordy and awkward English is a formal equivalent of the Hebrew; Good News Translation is more natural and simple. The phrase going over refers to the crossing of the Jordan River (see 4.14). For to possess see 1.8.

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 .

The statement love you, bless you, and multiply you is fairly simple and easy to understand. To bless is to cause good things to happen, to bestow benefits on, or “cause you to prosper”; multiply means to cause to increase in number.

The fruit of your body: here body represents the ability to have children, and fruit means offspring or children. Multiply you and bless the fruit of your body have the same meaning, so we may combine the two clauses and say, for example, “He will cause you to prosper by giving you many children.”

The fruit of your ground: this is a promise of abundant crops, as follows: grain (wheat and barley), wine (grapevines, vineyards), oil (olive trees, the oil being derived from olives). Wine is a fermented drink made from grapes (see also 6.1 for wine and “olives”).

Your cattle and the young of your flock: in this context cattle refers to bulls and cows, and flock to goats and sheep. See similar lists in 11.14; 12.17; 14.23. In some languages this sentence will be expressed something like “Your herds of animals named ‘cow’ will have many babies [offspring]. So also will your animals named ‘sheep’ and ‘goat.’ ”

For in the land which he swore …, see 1.8.

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 .

Do not say in your heart: see 8.17.

After the LORD your God has thrust them out before you: the verb here means “expel,” “drive out,” the same as in verse 3. Good News Translation “driven them out for you” is not quite right; it should be “as you advance.”

It is because of my righteousness: see 6.25. Here the plural form would be more natural, since this is the statement of the people, not of an individual. The word righteousness here means “good conduct” and is well translated by Good News Translation “because we deserve it” (also Bible en français courant); New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “because of our virtues” is possible; Revised English Bible “because of our merits” is better, or even “because we are such good people.”

The LORD has brought me in to possess this land: this statement occurs over and over again. Here the point of view is the land of Canaan itself, so that brought … in is correct; for possess see 1.8; 2.12.

The wickedness of these nations: Yahweh is enabling the Israelites to conquer the land of Canaan because the pagan peoples who live there are wicked; we may say “they do wrong” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “are evil people.”

Driving them out before you: this is a phrase that occurs often and is repeated in the next verse.

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 .

Verses 14 and 15 go together, emphasizing Yahweh’s goodness in choosing the Israelites to be his people. The connection between the two verses should be quite clear.

Behold: a way of calling their attention; see 1.10.

To the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens: this is a normal Hebrew way of making a superlative, which may not be natural in some languages (as it is not natural in English). The whole phrase means “all the heavens above,” “even the highest heavens.” Revised English Bible has “heaven itself, the highest heaven,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “the heavens to their uttermost reaches,” New International Version “the heavens, even the highest heavens.” Some repetition or other form of emphasis seems advisable; but the translator must decide whether a phrase like “even the highest heavens” (Good News Translation) will lead the reader to think that there are a number of heavens, varying in height. BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum has “the heavens and all they contain.” In many languages “sky” and “heaven” will be the same term; so “the sky and all it contains” or “everything in the sky” will be natural ways to express this. For the LORD your God see 1.6.

The earth with all that is in it: primarily this refers to all the living beings on earth. So we may translate “the earth and all the living things in it.”

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 .

Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje begins a new section here that goes to the end of the chapter, with the heading “A Blessing and a Curse.” Translators in other languages may want to do this also. If so, other possible models for a heading are “God will either bless or curse” or “God will either do good things for you or punish you.” As with other new sections, it will be helpful to reintroduce Moses as the speaker.

The exhortation (chapter 11) closes with the choice that is given to the people: blessing or curse, good fortune or misfortune, success or failure. All of this comes from God, who will act in accordance with the people’s willingness to obey him. It is not difficult to find a good translation for blessing (see 1.11), but one for curse, in which God is the actor, may prove somewhat difficult, since in many languages the term “curse” is associated with the profanity and vulgarity that accompany a loss of temper. In this context a curse is God’s solemn resolve to punish the people as they deserve for disobeying him. It may be necessary to use the verb “to punish” or the noun “punishment.”

But this curse is also binding. Once Yahweh has uttered blessings or cursings they cannot be taken back. Translators should study the way blessings and cursings function in their cultures. How do these curses by Yahweh compare to those of, for example, the Shaman or the “medicine man”? Will the vocabulary used in similar situations apply to Yahweh’s curses?

I set before you this day: God is giving the people a choice; Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje translates “And now I will let you choose whether you want a blessing or a curse.” Again this day is emphasized.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Today you must choose between two things: Do you want the LORD to do good things for you or to punish you?

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 states, in a briefer form, the command in 4.2.

In the Hebrew text, and in the Septuagint, this verse is chapter 13, verse 1. The Hebrew chapter and verse numbers will be shown in square brackets, for those who need to use that chapter and verse system.

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 .

Good News Translation and Revised English Bible join this verse to the following two verses; Revised Standard Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh join it to the verses that come before it. It is a linking verse; but everything considered, it seems better to join it to what follows, not to what comes before.

The verse is a reminder of the constant need to provide for Levites, who had no territory of their own and were thus dependent on the generosity of their fellow Israelites (see 12.19; 18.1-2; Num 18.20; 26.62).

You shall not forsake: that is, “Do not neglect [or, disregard],” “Do not fail to help.”

The Levite who is within your towns: in most languages it is much better to use the plural form, “the Levites who live in your communities [or, towns].”

No portion or inheritance: this is a typical doublet, showing emphasis—“they have no land,” “they were not allotted any territory” (see the comment at 12.2).

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 .