Revised Literal Translation

Deuteronomy 17:8-20

8If there arise a matterדָבָ֜רda.VarH1697too hardיִפָּלֵא֩yi.pa.Le'H6381for thee in judgmentלַמִּשְׁפָּ֗טla.mish.PatH4941,between bloodדָּ֨ם׀damH1818and bloodלְדָ֜םle.DamH1818,between pleaדִּ֣יןdinH1779and pleaלְדִ֗יןle.DinH1779,and between strokeנֶ֙גַע֙ne.ga'H5061and strokeלָנֶ֔גַעla.Ne.ga'H5061, beingmattersדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697of controversyרִיבֹ֖תri.VotH7379within thy gatesבִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָbish.'a.Rei.khaH8179:then shalt thou ariseוְקַמְתָּ֣ve.kam.TaH6965,and get thee upוְעָלִ֔יתָve.'a.Li.taH5927into the placeהַמָּק֔וֹםha.ma.KomH4725which Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430shall chooseיִבְחַ֛רyiv.CharH977;

9And thou shalt comeוּבָאתָ֗u.va.TaH935unto the priestsהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ha.ko.ha.NimH3548the Levitesהַלְוִיִּ֔םhal.vi.YimH3881,and unto the judgeהַשֹּׁפֵ֔טha.sho.FetH8199that shall be in those daysבַּיָּמִ֣יםbai.ya.MimH3117,and enquireוְדָרַשְׁתָּ֙ve.da.rash.TaH1875;and they shall shewוְהִגִּ֣ידוּve.hi.Gi.duH5046thee the sentenceדְּבַ֥רde.VarH1697of judgmentהַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ha.mish.PatH4941:

10And thou shalt doוְעָשִׂ֗יתָve.'a.Si.taH6213according to the sentenceפִּ֤י הַדָּבָר֙pi ha.da.VarH1697 H6310,which they of that placeהַמָּק֣וֹםha.ma.KomH4725which Yhwhיְהוָ֑הYah.wehH3068shall chooseיִבְחַ֣רyiv.CharH977shall shewיַגִּ֣ידֽוּya.Gi.duH5046thee; and thou shalt observeוְשָׁמַרְתָּ֣ve.sha.mar.TaH8104to doלַעֲשׂ֔וֹתla.'a.SotH6213according to all that they informיוֹרֽוּךָ׃yo.Ru.khaH3384thee:

11According to the sentenceפִּ֨יpiH6310of the lawהַתּוֹרָ֜הha.to.RahH8451which they shall teachיוֹר֗וּךָyo.Ru.khaH3384thee, and according to the judgmentהַמִּשְׁפָּ֛טha.mish.PatH4941which they shall tellיֹאמְר֥וּyo.me.RuH559thee, thou shalt doתַּעֲשֶׂ֑הta.'a.SehH6213:thou shalt not declineתָס֗וּרta.SurH5493from the sentenceהַדָּבָ֛רha.da.VarH1697which they shall shewיַגִּ֥ידֽוּya.Gi.duH5046thee, tothe right handיָמִ֥יןya.MinH3225, nor tothe leftוּשְׂמֹֽאל׃u.se.MolH8040.

12And the manוְהָאִ֞ישׁve.ha.'IshH376that will doיַעֲשֶׂ֣הya.'a.SehH6213presumptuouslyבְזָד֗וֹןve.za.DonH2087,and will not hearkenשְׁמֹ֤עַshe.Mo.a'H8085unto the priestהַכֹּהֵן֙ha.ko.HenH3548that standethהָעֹמֵ֞דha.'o.MedH5975to ministerלְשָׁ֤רֶתle.Sha.retH8334there before Yhwhיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430,or unto the judgeהַשֹּׁפֵ֑טha.sho.FetH8199,even that manהָאִ֣ישׁha.'IshH376shall dieוּמֵת֙u.MetH4191:and thou shalt put awayוּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥u.vi.'ar.TaH1197the evilהָרָ֖עha.Ra'H7451from Israelמִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃mi.Yis.ra.'ElH3478.

13And all the peopleהָעָ֖םha.'AmH5971shall hearיִשְׁמְע֣וּyish.me.'UH8085,and fearוְיִרָ֑אוּve.yi.Ra.'uH3372,and do no more presumptuouslyיְזִיד֖וּןye.zi.DunH2102.

14When thou art comeתָבֹ֣אta.Vo'H935unto the landהָאָ֗רֶץha.'A.retzH776which Yhwhיְהוָ֤הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙'e.lo.Hei.khaH430givethנֹתֵ֣ןno.TenH5414thee, and shalt possessוִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּvi.rish.TahH3423it, and shalt dwellוְיָשַׁ֣בְתָּהve.ya.Shav.tahH3427therein, and shalt sayוְאָמַרְתָּ֗ve.'a.mar.TaH559,I will setאָשִׂ֤ימָה'a.Si.mahH7760a kingמֶ֔לֶךְMe.lekhH4428over me, like as all the nationsהַגּוֹיִ֖םha.go.YimH1471that areaboutסְבִיבֹתָֽי׃se.vi.vo.TaiH5439me;

15Thou shalt in any wiseשׂ֣וֹםSomH7760setתָּשִׂ֤יםta.SimH7760himkingמֶ֔לֶךְMe.lekhH4428over thee, whom Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068thy Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaH430shall chooseיִבְחַ֛רyiv.CharH977: onefrom amongמִקֶּ֣רֶבmi.Ke.revH7130thy brethrenאַחֶ֗יךָ'a.Chei.KhaH251shalt thou setתָּשִׂ֤יםta.SimH7760kingמֶ֔לֶךְMe.lekhH4428over thee: thou mayestתוּכַ֗לtu.KhalH3201not setלָתֵ֤תla.TetH5414a strangerאִ֣ישׁ נָכְרִ֔י'ish na.khe.RiH376 H5237over thee, which isnot thy brotherאָחִ֖יךָ'a.Chi.khaH251.

16But he shall not multiplyיַרְבֶּה־yar.beh-H7235horsesסוּסִים֒su.SimH5483to himself, nor cause the peopleהָעָם֙ha.'AmH5971to returnיָשִׁ֤יבya.ShivH7725to Egyptמִצְרַ֔יְמָהmitz.Ray.mahH4714,to the end that he should multiplyהַרְבּ֣וֹתhar.BotH7235horsesס֑וּסSusH5483:forasmuch as Yhwhוַֽיהוָה֙va.Yah.wehH3068hath saidאָמַ֣ר'a.MarH559unto you, Ye shall henceforthתֹסִפ֗וּןto.si.FunH3254returnלָשׁ֛וּבla.ShuvH7725no more that wayבַּדֶּ֥רֶךְba.De.rekhH1870.

17Neither shall he multiplyיַרְבֶּה־yar.beh-H7235wivesנָשִׁ֔יםna.ShimH802to himself, that his heartלְבָב֑וֹle.va.VoH3824turnיָס֖וּרya.SurH5493not away: neither shall he greatlyמְאֹֽד׃me.'OdH3966multiplyיַרְבֶּה־yar.beh-H7235to himself silverוְכֶ֣סֶףve.Khe.sefH3701and goldוְזָהָ֔בve.za.HavH2091.

18And it shall be, when he sittethכְשִׁבְתּ֔וֹkhe.shiv.ToH3427upon the throneכִּסֵּ֣אki.Se'H3678of his kingdomמַמְלַכְתּ֑וֹmam.lakh.ToH4467,that he shall writeוְכָ֨תַבve.Kha.tavH3789him a copyמִשְׁנֵ֨הmish.NehH4932of this lawהַתּוֹרָ֤הha.to.RahH8451in a bookסֵ֔פֶרSe.ferH5612out of that which isbeforeמִלִּפְנֵ֥יmi.lif.NeiH6440the priestsהַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםha.ko.ha.NimH3548the Levitesהַלְוִיִּֽם׃hal.vi.YimH3881:

19And it shall be with him, and he shall readוְקָ֥רָאve.Ka.ra'H7121therein all the daysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117of his lifeחַיָּ֑יוchai.YavH2416:that he may learnיִלְמַ֗דyil.MadH3925to fearלְיִרְאָה֙le.yir.'AhH3372Yhwhיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068his Godאֱלֹהָ֔יו'e.lo.HavH430,to keepלִ֠שְׁמֹרLish.morH8104all the wordsדִּבְרֵ֞יdiv.ReiH1697of this lawהַתּוֹרָ֥הha.to.RahH8451and these statutesהַחֻקִּ֥יםha.chu.KimH2706,to doלַעֲשֹׂתָֽם׃la.'a.so.TamH6213them:

20That his heartלְבָבוֹ֙le.va.VoH3824be not lifted upרוּם־rum-H7311above his brethrenמֵֽאֶחָ֔יוme.'e.ChavH251,and that he turn not asideס֥וּרsurH5493from the commandmentהַמִּצְוָ֖הha.mitz.VahH4687, tothe right handיָמִ֣יןya.MinH3225, or tothe leftוּשְׂמֹ֑אולu.se.MolH8040:to the end that he may prolongיַאֲרִ֨יךְya.'a.RikhH748hisdaysיָמִ֧יםya.MimH3117in his kingdomמַמְלַכְתּ֛וֹmam.lakh.ToH4467,he, and his childrenוּבָנָ֖יוu.va.NavH1121,in the midstבְּקֶ֥רֶבbe.Ke.revH7130of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סYis.ra.'ElH3478.

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Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17