اَلتَّثْنِيَة 7

١ 1 «مَتَى أَتَى بِكَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّتِي أَنْتَ دَاخِلٌ إِلَيْهَا لِتَمْتَلِكَهَا، وَطَرَدَ شُعُوبًا كَثِيرَةً مِنْ أَمَامِكَ: ٱلْحِثِّيِّينَ وَٱلْجِرْجَاشِيِّينَ وَٱلْأَمُورِيِّينَ وَٱلْكَنْعَانِيِّينَ وَٱلْفِرِزِّيِّينَ وَٱلْحِوِّيِّينَ وَٱلْيَبُوسِيِّينَ، سَبْعَ شُعُوبٍ أَكْثَرَ وَأَعْظَمَ مِنْكَ،

“Yahweh our God will bring you to the land that you will soon enter and occupy. As you advance, he will expel from that land seven people-groups that are more powerful and more numerous than you are. He will expel the Heth people-group, the Girgash people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group.

٢ 2 وَدَفَعَهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ أَمَامَكَ، وَضَرَبْتَهُمْ، فَإِنَّكَ تُحَرِّمُهُمْ. لَا تَقْطَعْ لَهُمْ عَهْدًا، وَلَا تُشْفِقْ عَلَيْهِمْ،

When Yahweh our God enables you to defeat [DOU] them, you must kill all of them. You must not make (an alliance/a peace treaty) with any of them. You must not act mercifully toward them.

٣ 3 وَلَا تُصَاهِرْهُمْ. بِنْتَكَ لَا تُعْطِ لِٱبْنِهِ، وَبِنْتَهُ لَا تَأْخُذْ لِٱبْنِكَ.

You must not marry any of them. You must not allow your daughters to marry any of their sons or allow your sons to marry any of their daughters.

٤ 4 لِأَنَّهُ يَرُدُّ ٱبْنَكَ مِنْ وَرَائِي فَيَعْبُدُ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى، فَيَحْمَى غَضَبُ ٱلرَّبِّ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُهْلِكُكُمْ سَرِيعًا.

Because, if you did that, those people would cause your children to stop worshiping Yahweh and to worship other gods. If that happens, Yahweh will be very angry with you and he will get rid of you immediately.

٥ 5 وَلَكِنْ هَكَذَا تَفْعَلُونَ بِهِمْ: تَهْدِمُونَ مَذَابِحَهُمْ، وَتُكَسِّرُونَ أَنْصَابَهُمْ، وَتُقَطِّعُونَ سَوَارِيَهُمْ، وَتُحْرِقُونَ تَمَاثِيلَهُمْ بِٱلنَّارِ.

This is what you must do to those people: Tear down their (altars/places for sacrificing animals), break apart the stone pillars [that are dedicated to their male god Baal], cut down the [poles that they use when they worship the goddess] Asherah, and burn their [wooden] idols.

٦ 6 لِأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ شَعْبٌ مُقَدَّسٌ لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ. إِيَّاكَ قَدِ ٱخْتَارَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ لِتَكُونَ لَهُ شَعْبًا أَخَصَّ مِنْ جَمِيعِ ٱلشُّعُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ عَلَى وَجْهِ ٱلْأَرْضِ،

You must do that because you are a group of people who belong to Yahweh our God. He has chosen you from among all the people-groups in the world to be his own special people.

٧ 7 لَيْسَ مِنْ كَوْنِكُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَائِرِ ٱلشُّعُوبِ، ٱلْتَصَقَ ٱلرَّبُّ بِكُمْ وَٱخْتَارَكُمْ، لِأَنَّكُمْ أَقَلُّ مِنْ سَائِرِ ٱلشُّعُوبِ.

“It was not because you were more numerous than any other people-group that Yahweh preferred you; you are one of the smallest people-groups on the earth.

٨ 8 بَلْ مِنْ مَحَبَّةِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِيَّاكُمْ، وَحِفْظِهِ ٱلْقَسَمَ ٱلَّذِي أَقْسَمَ لِآبَائِكُمْ، أَخْرَجَكُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ بِيَدٍ شَدِيدَةٍ وَفَدَاكُمْ مِنْ بَيْتِ ٱلْعُبُودِيَّةِ مِنْ يَدِ فِرْعَوْنَ مَلِكِ مِصْرَ.

Instead, it is because Yahweh loved you and because he wanted to do what he vowed to your ancestors. That is the reason that he rescued you by his great power [MTY], and freed you from being slaves [MTY] of the king of Egypt.

٩ 9 فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ هُوَ ٱللهُ، ٱلْإِلَهُ ٱلْأَمِينُ، ٱلْحَافِظُ ٱلْعَهْدَ وَٱلْإِحْسَانَ لِلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَهُ وَيَحْفَظُونَ وَصَايَاهُ إِلَى أَلْفِ جِيلٍ،

So do not forget that Yahweh our God is the only/true God. He will do what he agreed to do for you, and he will faithfully love (for 1,000 generations/forever) all those who love him and who obey his commandments.

١٠ 10 وَٱلْمُجَازِي ٱلَّذِينَ يُبْغِضُونَهُ بِوُجُوهِهِمْ لِيُهْلِكَهُمْ. لَا يُمْهِلُ مَنْ يُبْغِضُهُ. بِوَجْهِهِ يُجَازِيهِ.

But for those who hate him, he will (pay them back/do to them what they deserve); he will punish them and quickly get rid of them.

١١ 11 فَٱحْفَظِ ٱلْوَصَايَا وَٱلْفَرَائِضَ وَٱلْأَحْكَامَ ٱلَّتِي أَنَا أُوصِيكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لِتَعْمَلَهَا.

“So you must be sure to obey all the commandments and rules and regulations that I am giving to you today.

١٢ 12 «وَمِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّكُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ هَذِهِ ٱلْأَحْكَامَ وَتَحْفَظُونَ وَتَعْمَلُونَهَا، يَحْفَظُ لَكَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ ٱلْعَهْدَ وَٱلْإِحْسَانَ ٱللَّذَيْنِ أَقْسَمَ لِآبَائِكَ،

If you heed these commands and obey them faithfully, Yahweh our God will do what he has agreed to do for you, and he will faithfully love you, which is what he vowed to your ancestors that he would do.

١٣ 13 وَيُحِبُّكَ وَيُبَارِكُكَ وَيُكَثِّرُكَ وَيُبَارِكُ ثَمَرَةَ بَطْنِكَ وَثَمَرَةَ أَرْضِكَ: قَمْحَكَ وَخَمْرَكَ وَزَيْتَكَ وَنِتَاجَ بَقَرِكَ وَإِنَاثَ غَنَمِكَ، عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّتِي أَقْسَمَ لِآبَائِكَ أَنَّهُ يُعْطِيكَ إِيَّاهَا.

He will love you and bless you. He will enable you to have many children [DOU]. He will bless your fields, with the result that you will have plenty of grain and [grapes to make] wine and plenty of [olive] oil. You will have many cattle and sheep. He will do all these things for you in the land that he promised to your ancestors that he would give to you.

١٤ 14 مُبَارَكًا تَكُونُ فَوْقَ جَمِيعِ ٱلشُّعُوبِ. لَا يَكُونُ عَقِيمٌ وَلَا عَاقِرٌ فِيكَ وَلَا فِي بَهَائِمِكَ.

He will bless you more than he will bless any other people-group. All of you will be able to have/produce children [LIT]. All of your livestock will be able to produce offspring.

١٥ 15 وَيَرُدُّ ٱلرَّبُّ عَنْكَ كُلَّ مَرَضٍ، وَكُلَّ أَدْوَاءِ مِصْرَ ٱلرَّدِيئَةِ ٱلَّتِي عَرَفْتَهَا لَا يَضَعُهَا عَلَيْكَ، بَلْ يَجْعَلُهَا عَلَى كُلِّ مُبْغِضِيكَ.

And Yahweh will protect you from all illnesses. You will not be afflicted with any of the dreadful diseases that [our ancestors knew about] in Egypt, but all your enemies will be inflicted with those diseases.

١٦ 16 وَتَأْكُلُ كُلَّ ٱلشُّعُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ يَدْفَعُ إِلَيْكَ. لَا تُشْفِقْ عَيْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا تَعْبُدْ آلِهَتَهُمْ، لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ شَرَكٌ لَكَ.

You must get rid of all the people-groups that Yahweh our God will enable you to conquer. Do not [SYN] act mercifully toward any of them. And do not worship their gods, because if you do that, it would be like falling into a trap [from which you will never be able to escape].

١٧ 17 إِنْ قُلْتَ فِي قَلْبِكَ: هَؤُلَاءِ ٱلشُّعُوبُ أَكْثَرُ مِنِّي. كَيْفَ أَقْدِرُ أَنْ أَطْرُدَهُمْ؟

“Do not think to yourselves, ‘These people-groups are more numerous/powerful than we are, so we certainly cannot [RHQ] expel them.’

١٨ 18 فَلَا تَخَفْ مِنْهُمُ. ٱذْكُرْ مَا فَعَلَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ بِفِرْعَوْنَ وَبِجَمِيعِ ٱلْمِصْرِيِّينَ.

Do not be afraid of them. Instead, think about what Yahweh our God did to the king of Egypt and to all the people whom he [ruled].

١٩ 19 ٱلتَّجَارِبَ ٱلْعَظِيمَةَ ٱلَّتِي أَبْصَرَتْهَا عَيْنَاكَ، وَٱلْآيَاتِ وَٱلْعَجَائِبَ وَٱلْيَدَ ٱلشَّدِيدَةَ وَٱلذِّرَاعَ ٱلرَّفِيعَةَ ٱلَّتِي بِهَا أَخْرَجَكَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ. هَكَذَا يَفْعَلُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ بِجَمِيعِ ٱلشُّعُوبِ ٱلَّتِي أَنْتَ خَائِفٌ مِنْ وَجْهِهَا.

Do not forget the terrible plagues that your ancestors saw [Yahweh inflict on the people of Egypt], and the many [DOU] miracles [that he performed], and the very powerful [DOU, MTY] way by which he brought your ancestors out [of Egypt]. Yahweh our God will do the same kind of things to the people-groups that you are afraid of now.

٢٠ 20 «وَٱلزَّنَابِيرُ أَيْضًا يُرْسِلُهَا ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَتَّى يَفْنَى ٱلْبَاقُونَ وَٱلْمُخْتَفُونَ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ.

Furthermore, he will cause them to become terrified, and he will destroy those who remain alive and run away to hide from you.

٢١ 21 لَا تَرْهَبْ وُجُوهَهُمْ، لِأَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ فِي وَسَطِكَ إِلَهٌ عَظِيمٌ وَمَخُوفٌ.

Do not be afraid of those people, because Yahweh our God will be with/among you. He is a great God; he is the one you should be afraid of.

٢٢ 22 وَلَكِنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ يَطْرُدُ هَؤُلَاءِ ٱلشُّعُوبَ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا. لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تُفْنِيَهُمْ سَرِيعًا، لِئَلَّا تَكْثُرَ عَلَيْكَ وُحُوشُ ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ.

He will expel those people-groups gradually. You should not [try to] expel all of them at one time, because if you did that, the number of wild animals would quickly increase, [and you would not be able to get rid of them].

٢٣ 23 وَيَدْفَعُهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ أَمَامَكَ وَيُوقِعُ بِهِمِ ٱضْطِرَابًا عَظِيمًا حَتَّى يَفْنَوْا.

Instead, Yahweh will enable you to defeat your enemies [one people-group at a time]. He will cause them to panic until they are destroyed.

٢٤ 24 وَيَدْفَعُ مُلُوكَهُمْ إِلَى يَدِكَ، فَتَمْحُو ٱسْمَهُمْ مِنْ تَحْتِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ. لَا يَقِفُ إِنْسَانٌ فِي وَجْهِكَ حَتَّى تُفْنِيَهُمْ.

He will enable you to defeat [IDM] their kings. After you kill them, their names will be forgotten {people will forget about them}. No people-group will be able to stop you; you will destroy all of them.

٢٥ 25 وَتَمَاثِيلَ آلِهَتِهِمْ تُحْرِقُونَ بِٱلنَّارِ. لَا تَشْتَهِ فِضَّةً وَلَا ذَهَبًا مِمَّا عَلَيْهَا لِتَأْخُذَ لَكَ، لِئَلَّا تُصَادَ بِهِ لِأَنَّهُ رِجْسٌ عِنْدَ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ.

You must burn the wooden idols [that represent] their gods. Do not desire to take the silver or gold [decorations] that are on those idols, because if you take them for yourselves, they will be like a trap [to cause you to want to worship those idols]. Yahweh hates [the worship of those idols].

٢٦ 26 وَلَا تُدْخِلْ رِجْسًا إِلَى بَيْتِكَ لِئَلَّا تَكُونَ مُحَرَّمًا مِثْلَهُ. تَسْتَقْبِحُهُ وَتَكْرَهُهُ لِأَنَّهُ مُحَرَّمٌ.

You must not bring any of those disgusting idols into your houses, because if you do that, God will curse you like he curses them. You must hate and despise [DOU] those idols, because they are things that [Yahweh] has cursed.”