اَلتَّثْنِيَة 9

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

Listen, people of Israel! Shortly you're going to cross the Jordan to enter and take over the country from nations that are larger and stronger than you, that have large towns with walls that reach up into the sky.

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

The people are strong and tall; they are the descendants of the Anakim. You all know about them and you have heard the saying, “Who could ever defeat the sons of Anak?”

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

But you should realize that today the Lord your God is going across ahead of you. He is like a consuming fire; he will destroy them and defeat them ahead of you. You will drive them out and quickly wipe them out, just as the Lord promised 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.

When the Lord your God has driven them out ahead of you, don't think to yourselves, “It's because I'm such a good person that the Lord has brought me here to take over this land.” No, the Lord is driving out these nations ahead of you because of they're so wicked.

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.

It's not because you're so good or moral that you are going to take over their land. No, it's because of their wickedness that the Lord your God is driving out these nations ahead of you, to keep the promise he made to your fathers—m to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

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

You'd better believe that it's not because you're such good people that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to own, because you are stubborn, hard-hearted 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 how you provoked the Lord your God in the desert! Don't ever forget it! From the time you left the land of Egypt until you arrived here, you've been constantly rebelling against the Lord.

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

At Horeb you provoked the Lord, making him so angry he was about 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.

This was when I climbed up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets that recorded agreement the Lord made with you. I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, and I didn't eat or drink anything.

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.

The Lord gave me the two stone tablets on which he'd written with his finger everything he'd told you when he spoke from the fire on the mountain when we were all assembled there.

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

After forty days and forty nights, the Lord gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the agreement.

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.

The Lord told me, “Hurry! Go down immediately, because your people that you led out of Egypt, are committing a terrible sin. They have disobeyed what I told them so quickly! They have made themselves an idol using molten metal.”

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

The Lord also told me, “I have been watching these people, and they really are a stubborn and hard-hearted.

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

Leave me, so that I can destroy them and wipe out their name completely. Then I will turn you into a nation even more powerful and more important than them.”

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

I went back down the mountain while it was still on fire, carrying the two tablets of the agreement.

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

Then I saw how much you had sinned against the Lord your God by making for yourselves a molten calf. You had disobeyed what the Lord had told you so quickly.

١٧ 17 فَأَخَذْتُ ٱللَّوْحَيْنِ وَطَرَحْتُهُمَا مِنْ يَدَيَّ وَكَسَّرْتُهُمَا أَمَامَ أَعْيُنِكُمْ.

I threw the two tablets down, smashing them to pieces as you watched.

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.

Then I lay down on the ground before the Lord for forty days and forty nights, just as I had before. I didn't eat or drink anything because of all the sins you had committed by doing what was evil in the Lord's sight, making him angry.

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

I was terrified at how angry and furious the Lord was with you. He was ready to destroy you. But once again the Lord listened to me.

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

The Lord was so angry with Aaron he was ready to destroy him, but right then I prayed for Aaron too.

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

I took that abominable thing, the calf you'd made, and burned it. Then I crushed it up and ground it into dust, and I threw it into the stream that descended from the mountain.

٢٢ 22 «وَفِي تَبْعِيرَةَ وَمَسَّةَ وَقَبَرُوتَ هَتَّأَوَةَ أَسْخَطْتُمُ ٱلرَّبَّ.

But you went on provoking the Lord at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah.

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

When the Lord had you leave Kadesh-barnea, he told you, “Go and take over the country that I've given you.” But you defied the command of the Lord your God. You didn't believe him and you didn't obey him.

٢٤ 24 قَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْصُونَ ٱلرَّبَّ مُنْذُ يَوْمَ عَرَفْتُكُمْ.

You have been rebelling against the Lord from the day I first knew you.

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

So I lay down on the ground before the Lord for forty days and forty nights, because the Lord had threatened to destroy you.

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

I prayed to the Lord, saying, “Please Lord, God, don't destroy your people that belong to you, the ones whom you rescued by your great ability and led out of Egypt by your power.

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

Please remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Please disregard the stubbornness of this people and their wicked sin.

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.

If you don't, those people back in Egypt will say, ‘The Lord brought them out to kill them in the desert because he couldn't take them to the land he'd promised them, and because he hated them.’

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

But they are your people, Lord! They belong to you! You led them out of Egypt by your amazing power and might!”