اَلتَّثْنِيَة 9

١ 1 «اِسْمَعْ يَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، أَنْتَ ٱلْيَوْمَ عَابِرٌ ٱلْأُرْدُنَّ لِكَيْ تَدْخُلَ وَتَمْتَلِكَ شُعُوبًا أَكْبَرَ وَأَعْظَمَ مِنْكَ، وَمُدُنًا عَظِيمَةً وَمُحَصَّنَةً إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاءِ.

“Listen, O Israel: You shall cross over the Jordan today, in order to possess nations, very great and stronger than yourself, cities vast and walled even to the sky,

٢ 2 قَوْمًا عِظَامًا وَطِوَالًا، بَنِي عَنَاقَ ٱلَّذِينَ عَرَفْتَهُمْ وَسَمِعْتَ: مَنْ يَقِفُ فِي وَجْهِ بَنِي عَنَاقَ؟

a people great and lofty, the sons of the Anakim, whom you yourselves have seen and heard, against whom no one is able to stand.

٣ 3 فَٱعْلَمِ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ هُوَ ٱلْعَابِرُ أَمَامَكَ نَارًا آكِلَةً. هُوَ يُبِيدُهُمْ وَيُذِلُّهُمْ أَمَامَكَ، فَتَطْرُدُهُمْ وَتُهْلِكُهُمْ سَرِيعًا كَمَا كَلَّمَكَ ٱلرَّبُّ.

Therefore, you shall know today that the Lord your God himself will pass over before you, like a devouring and consuming fire, to crush and to wipe away and to utterly ruin them before your face, quickly, just as he has spoken to you.

٤ 4 لَا تَقُلْ فِي قَلْبِكَ حِينَ يَنْفِيهِمِ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ قَائِلًا: لِأَجْلِ بِرِّي أَدْخَلَنِي ٱلرَّبُّ لِأَمْتَلِكَ هَذِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ. وَلِأَجْلِ إِثْمِ هَؤُلَاءِ ٱلشُّعُوبِ يَطْرُدُهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ.

You should not say in your heart, when the Lord your God will have destroyed them in your sight: ‘It is because of my justice that the Lord led me in, so that I might possess this land, while these nations have been destroyed because of their impiety.’

٥ 5 لَيْسَ لِأَجْلِ بِرِّكَ وَعَدَالَةِ قَلْبِكَ تَدْخُلُ لِتَمْتَلِكَ أَرْضَهُمْ، بَلْ لِأَجْلِ إِثْمِ أُولَئِكَ ٱلشُّعُوبِ يَطْرُدُهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ مِنْ أَمَامِكَ، وَلِكَيْ يَفِيَ بِٱلْكَلَامِ ٱلَّذِي أَقْسَمَ ٱلرَّبُّ عَلَيْهِ لِآبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ.

For it is not because of your justices or the uprightness of your heart that you will enter, so that you may possess their lands. Instead, it is because they have acted wickedly that they are destroyed upon your arrival, and so that the Lord may accomplish his word, which he promised under oath to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

٦ 6 فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِأَجْلِ بِرِّكَ يُعْطِيكَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ هَذِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ ٱلْجَيِّدَةَ لِتَمْتَلِكَهَا، لِأَنَّكَ شَعْبٌ صُلْبُ ٱلرَّقَبَةِ.

Therefore, know that the Lord your God will not give you this excellent land as a possession due to your justices, for you are a very stiff-necked people.

٧ 7 «اُذْكُرْ. لَا تَنْسَ كَيْفَ أَسْخَطْتَ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ فِي ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ. مِنَ ٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلَّذِي خَرَجْتَ فِيهِ مِنْ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُمْ إِلَى هَذَا ٱلْمَكَانِ كُنْتُمْ تُقَاوِمُونَ ٱلرَّبَّ.

Remember, and never forget, how you provoked the Lord your God to anger in the wilderness. You have always contended against the Lord, from the day that you went forth from Egypt, even to this place.

٨ 8 حَتَّى فِي حُورِيبَ أَسْخَطْتُمُ ٱلرَّبَّ، فَغَضِبَ ٱلرَّبُّ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُبِيدَكُمْ.

For at Horeb also, you provoked him, and, becoming angry, he was willing to destroy you,

٩ 9 حِينَ صَعِدْتُ إِلَى ٱلْجَبَلِ لِكَيْ آخُذَ لَوْحَيِ ٱلْحَجَرِ، لَوْحَيِ ٱلْعَهْدِ ٱلَّذِي قَطَعَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ مَعَكُمْ، أَقَمْتُ فِي ٱلْجَبَلِ أَرْبَعِينَ نَهَارًا وَأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً لَا آكُلُ خُبْزًا وَلَا أَشْرَبُ مَاءً.

when I ascended onto the mountain, so that I might receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord formed with you. And I persevered on the mountain for forty days and nights, neither eating bread, nor drinking water.

١٠ 10 وَأَعْطَانِيَ ٱلرَّبُّ لَوْحَيِ ٱلْحَجَرِ ٱلْمَكْتُوبَيْنِ بِأَصَبِعِ ٱللهِ، وَعَلَيْهِمَا مِثْلُ جَمِيعِ ٱلْكَلِمَاتِ ٱلَّتِي كَلَّمَكُمْ بِهَا ٱلرَّبُّ فِي ٱلْجَبَلِ مِنْ وَسَطِ ٱلنَّارِ فِي يَوْمِ ٱلِٱجْتِمَاعِ.

And the Lord gave me two tablets of stone, written with the finger of God and containing all the words that he spoke to you on the mountain from the midst of fire, while the people, being stirred up, were assembled together.

١١ 11 وَفِي نِهَايَةِ ٱلْأَرْبَعِينَ نَهَارًا وَٱلْأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً، لَمَّا أَعْطَانِيَ ٱلرَّبُّ لَوْحَيِ ٱلْحَجَرِ، لَوْحَيِ ٱلْعَهْدِ،

And when forty days, and as many nights, had passed, the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.

١٢ 12 قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ لِي: قُمِ ٱنْزِلْ عَاجِلًا مِنْ هُنَا، لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ فَسَدَ شَعْبُكَ ٱلَّذِي أَخْرَجْتَهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ. زَاغُوا سَرِيعًا عَنِ ٱلطَّرِيقِ ٱلَّتِي أَوْصَيْتُهُمْ. صَنَعُوا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ تِمْثَالًا مَسْبُوكًا.

And he said to me: ‘Rise up, and descend quickly from here. For your people, whom you led away from Egypt, have quickly abandoned the way that you have shown to them, and they have made a molten idol for themselves.’

١٣ 13 وَكَلَّمَنِيَ ٱلرَّبُّ قَائِلًا: رَأَيْتُ هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبَ وَإِذَا هُوَ شَعْبٌ صُلْبُ ٱلرَّقَبَةِ.

And again, the Lord said to me: ‘I discern that this people is stiff-necked.

١٤ 14 اُتْرُكْنِي فَأُبِيدَهُمْ وَأَمْحُوَ ٱسْمَهُمْ مِنْ تَحْتِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ، وَأَجْعَلَكَ شَعْبًا أَعْظَمَ وَأَكْثَرَ مِنْهُمْ.

Depart from me, so that I may crush them, and abolish their name from under heaven, and appoint you over a nation, which will be greater and stronger than this one.’

١٥ 15 فَٱنْصَرَفْتُ وَنَزَلْتُ مِنَ ٱلْجَبَلِ، وَٱلْجَبَلُ يَشْتَعِلُ بِٱلنَّارِ، وَلَوْحَا ٱلْعَهْدِ فِي يَدَيَّ.

And as I was descending from the burning mountain, and I held the two tablets of the covenant with both hands,

١٦ 16 «فَنَظَرْتُ وَإِذَا أَنْتُمْ قَدْ أَخْطَأْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ، وَصَنَعْتُمْ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ عِجْلًا مَسْبُوكًا، وَزُغْتُمْ سَرِيعًا عَنِ ٱلطَّرِيقِ ٱلَّتِي أَوْصَاكُمْ بِهَا ٱلرَّبُّ.

and I had seen that you had sinned against the Lord your God, and had made a molten calf for yourselves, and had quickly abandoned his way, which he had revealed to you,

١٧ 17 فَأَخَذْتُ ٱللَّوْحَيْنِ وَطَرَحْتُهُمَا مِنْ يَدَيَّ وَكَسَّرْتُهُمَا أَمَامَ أَعْيُنِكُمْ.

I threw down the tablets from my hands, and I broke them in your sight.

١٨ 18 ثُمَّ سَقَطْتُ أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ كَٱلْأَوَّلِ أَرْبَعِينَ نَهَارًا وَأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً، لَا آكُلُ خُبْزًا وَلَا أَشْرَبُ مَاءً، مِنْ أَجْلِ كُلِّ خَطَايَاكُمُ ٱلَّتِي أَخْطَأْتُمْ بِهَا بِعَمَلِكُمُ ٱلشَّرَّ أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ لِإِغَاظَتِهِ.

And I fell prostrate before the Lord, just as before, for forty days and nights, not eating bread, and not drinking water, because of all your sins, which you had committed against the Lord, and because you provoked him to anger.

١٩ 19 لِأَنِّي فَزِعْتُ مِنَ ٱلْغَضَبِ وَٱلْغَيْظِ ٱلَّذِي سَخِطَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ عَلَيْكُمْ لِيُبِيدَكُمْ. فَسَمِعَ لِيَ ٱلرَّبُّ تِلْكَ ٱلْمَرَّةَ أَيْضًا.

For I feared his indignation and wrath, which had been stirred up against you, so that he was willing to destroy you. And the Lord heeded me at this time also.

٢٠ 20 وَعَلَى هَارُونَ غَضِبَ ٱلرَّبُّ جِدًّا لِيُبِيدَهُ. فَصَلَّيْتُ أَيْضًا مِنْ أَجْلِ هَارُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْوَقْتِ.

Likewise, he became vehemently angry against Aaron, and he was willing to destroy him, and I prayed for him similarly.

٢١ 21 وَأَمَّا خَطِيَّتُكُمُ، ٱلْعِجْلُ ٱلَّذِي صَنَعْتُمُوهُ، فَأَخَذْتُهُ وَأَحْرَقْتُهُ بِٱلنَّارِ، وَرَضَضْتُهُ وَطَحَنْتُهُ جَيِّدًا حَتَّى نَعِمَ كَٱلْغُبَارِ. ثُمَّ طَرَحْتُ غُبَارَهُ فِي ٱلنَّهْرِ ٱلْمُنْحَدِرِ مِنَ ٱلْجَبَلِ.

But as for your sin which you committed, that is, the calf, taking hold of it, I burned it with fire. And breaking it into pieces, and reducing it entirely to dust, I threw it into the torrent that descends from the mountain.

٢٢ 22 «وَفِي تَبْعِيرَةَ وَمَسَّةَ وَقَبَرُوتَ هَتَّأَوَةَ أَسْخَطْتُمُ ٱلرَّبَّ.

Likewise, at the Burning, and at the Temptation, and at the Graves of Lust, you provoked the Lord.

٢٣ 23 وَحِينَ أَرْسَلَكُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ مِنْ قَادَشَ بَرْنِيعَ قَائِلًا: ٱصْعَدُوا ٱمْتَلِكُوا ٱلْأَرْضَ ٱلَّتِي أَعْطَيْتُكُمْ، عَصَيْتُمْ قَوْلَ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ وَلَمْ تُصَدِّقُوهُ وَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا لِقَوْلِهِ.

And when he sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, ‘Ascend and possess the land, which I have given to you,’ even so, you spurned the command of the Lord your God, and you did not believe him, nor were you willing to listen to his voice.

٢٤ 24 قَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْصُونَ ٱلرَّبَّ مُنْذُ يَوْمَ عَرَفْتُكُمْ.

Instead, you were ever rebellious, from the day when I first began to know you.

٢٥ 25 «فَسَقَطْتُ أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ ٱلْأَرْبَعِينَ نَهَارًا وَٱلْأَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ٱلَّتِي سَقَطْتُهَا، لِأَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يُهْلِكُكُمْ.

And so, I lay prostrate before the Lord for forty days and nights, as I humbly begged him, lest he destroy you, just as he had threatened to do.

٢٦ 26 وَصَلَّيْتُ لِلرَّبِّ وَقُلْتُ: يَا سَيِّدُ ٱلرَّبُّ، لَا تُهْلِكْ شَعْبَكَ وَمِيرَاثَكَ ٱلَّذِي فَدَيْتَهُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ، ٱلَّذِي أَخْرَجْتَهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ بِيَدٍ شَدِيدَةٍ.

And praying, I said: ‘O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your inheritance, whom you have redeemed in your greatness, whom you have led away from Egypt with a strong hand.

٢٧ 27 اُذْكُرْ عَبِيدَكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ. لَا تَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى غَلَاظَةِ هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبِ وَإِثْمِهِ وَخَطِيَّتِهِ،

Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not look upon the stubbornness of this people, nor upon their wickedness and sinfulness.

٢٨ 28 لِئَلَّا تَقُولَ ٱلْأَرْضُ ٱلَّتِي أَخْرَجْتَنَا مِنْهَا: لِأَجْلِ أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ ٱلَّتِي كَلَّمَهُمْ عَنْهَا، وَلِأَجْلِ أَنَّهُ أَبْغَضَهُمْ، أَخْرَجَهُمْ لِكَيْ يُمِيتَهُمْ فِي ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ.

Otherwise, perhaps the inhabitants of the land, out of which you have led us, may say: “The Lord was not able to lead them into the land, which he promised to them. And he hated them; therefore, he led them out, so that he might put them to death in the wilderness.”

٢٩ 29 وَهُمْ شَعْبُكَ وَمِيرَاثُكَ ٱلَّذِي أَخْرَجْتَهُ بِقُوَّتِكَ ٱلْعَظِيمَةِ وَبِذِرَاعِكَ ٱلرَّفِيعَةِ.

These are your people and your inheritance, whom you have led out by your great strength, and with your outstretched arm.’”