complete verse (Deuteronomy 28:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 28:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not go astray even a little from these words that I am teaching you and do not worship idols that other communities are worshipping.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Do not turn from the commands I have given you today, do not follow other gods, do not do puja to them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Therefore you (plur.) do- not -disobey whatever I am commanding you (plur.) today, and do- not -follow other gods and serve them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Yahweh will do all these things for you if you do not turn away from obeying what I am commanding you today, and if you never worship or serve other gods.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 28:14

If you do not turn aside … to the right hand or to the left: this is a figure of complete obedience, without any deviation (see 5.32). So Good News Translation has “you must never disobey.”

The words which I command you this day: as often stated in the book, this refers to all of Moses’ words delivered on the same day in one long discourse.

To go after other gods to serve them: there is a constant indication in Deuteronomy of rivalry between Yahweh and the gods of Canaan; to serve other gods is to be guilty of idolatry (see 8.19).

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 .