In verses 34-35 God is the speaker; then in verses 36-38 Moses is probably the speaker, although Yahweh often refers to himself in the third person, and it is possible that these verses are an instance of that. In many languages it will be good to introduce Yahweh as the speaker in this verse; for example, “The LORD says, ‘Don’t I….’ ” Notice, however, that Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version keep “the LORD” in the third person; that is also possible.

Is not this: that is, his plans to punish Israel’s enemies (verse 35) and vindicate his people (verse 36). So we may translate “Yahweh says, ‘What I have planned to do to the Israelites and their enemies, I am keeping….’ ”

Laid up in store … sealed up in my treasuries: this is a way of saying that God’s plan is safe and secure, and cannot be taken from him. Instead of a rhetorical question, a declaration may be better. So New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “Lo, I have it all put away, sealed up in my storehouses,” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “All of this I am keeping for myself, I am guarding it as a treasure.” The emphasis is not on the worth of it but on Yahweh’s determination to keep all his plans strictly to himself, not sharing them with anyone. In this verse Good News Translation departs too far from the focus of the original.

A possible alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Yahweh says,
“What I have planned to do to the Israelites and their enemies
I am keeping for myself.
I am guarding it as I would a treasure.”

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 .