shall not depart out of your mouth

The Hebrew that is translated as “shall not depart out of your mouth” or similar in English is translated in Kutu as “don’t stop to speak.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

day and night

The Hebrew and Ge’ez that is often translated in English as “day and night” or “all day and all night” is translated in Danish as døgn, a word that specifically refers a more or less 24-hour period including day and night (unlike dag which refers to the time of daylight). (Source: Iver Larsen)

translations with a Hebraic voice (Joshua 1:8-9)

Some translations specifically reproduce the voice of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.

English:
This Record of the Instruction is not to depart from your mouth —
you are to recite it day and night,
in order that you may take care to observe
exactly what is written in it;
for then you will make your way prosper,
then you will excel.
Have I not commanded you: be strong and courageous!?
Do not be terrified, do not be dismayed,
for with you is Yhwh your God, wherever you go!

Source: Everett Fox 1995

German:
Nicht weiche dieses Buch der Weisung aus deinem Mund,
murmle darin tages und nachts,
damit dus wahrest, zu tun nach allem, was darin geschrieben ist, —
alsdann machst du deine Wege gelingen,
dann ergreifst dus.
Habe ich dir nicht geboten: sei stark, sei fest!
Ängste nimmer, scheue nimmer,
denn bei dir ist Er dein Gott überall, wo du gehst.

Source: Buber / Rosenzweig 1976

French:
Cet acte de la tora ne se retirera pas de ta bouche;
murmure-le jour et nuit, pour garder et faire tout ce qui est écrit.
Oui, alors tu triompheras en ta route, alors tu seras perspicace.
Ne t’ai-je pas ordonné:
‹ Sois fort et ferme, tu ne trembleras pas, tu ne t’effareras pas › ?
Oui, IHVH-Adonaï ton Elohîms sera avec toi partout où tu iras.

Source: Chouraqui 1985

complete verse (Joshua 1:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 1:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Stick my laws in your head. Think about (them) in your stomach day and night so that you keep/obey everything that is written in them. If you do that, you shall find/get progress.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The decrees of this book must not depart from your mouth. Meditate upon it night and day! Then be careful to obey all the things that are written in it. Then it will be good for you and you will succeed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Do- not ever -forget to-read the Book of Law. [You (sing.)] meditate-upon that day and night, so-that you will-know/learn how to-obey everything which was-written there. In this way you (sing.) will-become prosperous and successful/victorious.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Make sure to habitually read to the people some of the laws that God gave Moses. Meditate on those laws every day and every night. And be sure to obey all those laws. If you do that, you will be successful in everything that you do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-oshie (みおしえ) or “teaching (of God)” in the referenced verses.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also law.

law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Joshua 1:8

Be sure that the book of the Law is always read in your worship takes the Hebrew “This book of the Law is not to depart from your mouth” to refer to the use of the Scriptures in public worship and proclamation, and not just in private reading. If the command is believed to be addressed to Joshua alone, then one may translate “Read the book of the Law to the people every time they worship”; if it is understood to be addressed to the people, “Be sure that someone reads the book of the Law to you every time you worship.” It must be made clear that “the book of the Law” of this verse refers to the “whole Law” of verse 7.

The command to “meditate on it day and night” (Revised Standard Version) recalls the language of Psalm 1.2. The same Hebrew verb (literally “mutter, read in a low voice”) is used here; it means to study (Good News Translation), “pore over” (Moffatt); “keep it in mind” (New English Bible).

At the end of verse 8 two synonymous verbs are used: “cause to prosper” and “be successful” (as in verse 7); Good News Translation you will be prosperous and successful; New English Bible “you will prosper and be successful in all that you do.” The combination prosperous and successful reflects the Hebrew practice of placing together two modifiers in what appears to be a coordinate relationship. However, the use of “and” in such structures is deceptive, for a coordinate relationship is not really intended. In reality one adjective is meant to qualify the other. For example, “wicked and sinful” would mean “very wicked (sinful).” So then, prosperous and successful may be understood to have the meaning “very prosperous” or “very successful.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 1:8

1:8a

This Book of the Law: The phrase This Book of the Law refers to “all the law” in 1:7b.

must not depart from your mouth: The clause must not depart from your mouth means that Joshua should always think about the law of Yahweh. He could do this by reading it and speaking it out loud.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Never stop reading this Book of the Law. (NIRV)
-or-
Always remember what is written in this law book
-or-
Do not stop reciting these laws

1:8b

meditate on it: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as meditate can also be translated as “mutter,” or “read in a low voice.” This was a way to keep thinking about something.

day and night: The phrase day and night means always or all the time.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Day and night you must think about what it says (NIRV)
-or-
Never stop reciting these teachings (God’s Word)
-or-
Study it day and night (New Century Version)

1:8c

so that you may be careful to do everything written in it: The clause be careful to do everything written in it indicates that Joshua must obey all the laws that Moses wrote down.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Make sure you do everything written in it (NIRV)
-or-
Carefully follow every law that Moses wrote

1:8d

For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do: The Hebrew verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will prosper and succeed are similar in meaning. In some languages there may not be two words with such similar meanings. In that case it may be more natural to translate this as “very successful”, or “very prosperous.”

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Then things will go well with you. And you will have great success. (NIRV)
-or-
Only then will you prosper and succeed (God’s Word)
-or-
If you do that, you will be successful in everything that you do (Translation for Translators)

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