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 .

This verse is almost the same as 15.15.

These statutes: see 4.1.

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 .

Raise up for you a prophet: the verb raise up in this context means “to cause to appear.” More simply it means to send: “The LORD your God will send you a prophet.” For prophet see 13.1. The noun is singular in the Hebrew text, and most translations take it to refer to a particular prophet who will appear in the future. But as the alternative rendering in Good News Translation shows, the singular here may be understood as a collective, meaning “God will send you [from time to time] prophets”; New Revised Standard Version provides the same alternative in a footnote. However, translations do not give this meaning in the text. The promise (in the singular) is used in the New Testament as a reference to Jesus (see Acts 3.22; 7.37).

Like me: this can be understood to mean “as he sent me,” but most take it to mean that the coming prophet will be like Moses.

From among you, from your brethren: another case of duplication, for clarity. It means the coming prophet will be an Israelite, “one of your own people” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

To repeat what we have said earlier in the Handbook, the translator should be aware of what the second person pronouns you and your may mean in some languages; that is, the person (Moses) who says this is not an Israelite. Such a wrong meaning should be avoided. See, for example, 1.6.

Him you shall heed: the people are to listen to him and do as he commands.

Good News Translation is a suitable model for this verse, as is Contemporary English Version:

• Instead, he will choose one of your own people to be a prophet just like me, and you must do what that prophet says.

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 last question seems to have been added to the original three. It is of a general nature, and the introduction to the question is fuller. Those who are afraid are told to go back home, because their fear might spread and infect the others.

Will speak further to the people: that is, they are to ask one more question of the men [or, troops].

Fearful: this is the common word “to be afraid.”

Fainthearted: as in verse 9.

Melt as his heart: this is a fairly common idiom, meaning to become afraid. Having a heart that “melts” means that a person loses courage, or nerve.

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 .