Deuteronomy 28: The blessings for obeying, and the curses for not obeying
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses tells Israel that if they listen to Yahweh their God and keep his commands, blessings will come on them: in the city and the field, in children, crops and herds, against their enemies, and among the nations. If they do not listen, curses will come instead: disease, drought, defeat, madness, the loss of homes, fields and children, a fierce nation from far away, a siege so terrible that people eat their own children, and in the end being scattered among the nations and sent back to Egypt. The curses take up most of the chapter, from verse 15 to verse 68.
Who is speaking?
Moses is speaking to Israel through the whole chapter. In verse 67 he gives what the people will say in their fear. No verse is in gold, because these are Moses' words, not words the text gives to God speaking himself. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
In plain English: If you listen carefully to the voice of Yahweh your God and are careful to do all his commands that I am giving you today, Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
Good to know: to gives a similar list of blessings for obeying, and from a list of curses for not obeying. There Yahweh speaks ("I will..."). Here Moses speaks of what Yahweh will do.
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2All these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you, if you listen to Yahweh your God’s voice.
In plain English: All these blessings will come on you and overtake you, if you listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.
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3You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.
In plain English: You will be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field.
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4You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock.
In plain English: Your children (literally: the fruit of your womb) will be blessed, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your animals, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.
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5Your basket and your kneading trough shall be blessed.
In plain English: Your basket and your kneading bowl will be blessed.
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6You shall be blessed when you come in, and you shall be blessed when you go out.
In plain English: You will be blessed when you come in, and blessed when you go out.
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7Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways.
In plain English: Yahweh will let your enemies who rise against you be beaten in front of you. They will come at you one way and run from you seven ways.
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8Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to. He will bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
In plain English: Yahweh will command the blessing on you, in your barns and in all you set your hand to. He will bless you in the land Yahweh your God is giving you.
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9Yahweh will establish you for a holy people to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and walk in his ways.
In plain English: Yahweh will make you a holy people for himself, as he swore to you, if you keep the commands of Yahweh your God and walk in his ways.
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10All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by Yahweh’s name, and they will be afraid of you.
In plain English: All the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by Yahweh's name, and they will be afraid of you.
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11Yahweh will grant you abundant prosperity in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.
In plain English: Yahweh will give you plenty of good things: children, young animals, and crops, in the land Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.
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12Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow.
In plain English: Yahweh will open for you his good storehouse, the sky, to give your land rain at the right time and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow.
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13Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you today, to observe and to do,
In plain English: Yahweh will make you the head and not the tail. You will always be on top and never at the bottom, if you listen to the commands of Yahweh your God that I am giving you today, and are careful to do them,
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14and shall not turn away from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
In plain English: and if you do not turn aside from any of the words I am giving you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods and serve them.
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15But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you and overtake you.
In plain English: But if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and are not careful to do all his commands and statutes that I am giving you today, then all these curses will come on you and overtake you.
Good to know: The curses in to answer the blessings in to almost word for word: the city and the field, the basket and the kneading bowl, the fruit of the womb and of the ground, coming in and going out.
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16You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field.
In plain English: You will be cursed in the city, and cursed in the field.
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17Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.
In plain English: Your basket and your kneading bowl will be cursed.
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18The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed.
In plain English: Your children (literally: the fruit of your womb) will be cursed, and the fruit of your ground, and the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.
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19You will be cursed when you come in, and you will be cursed when you go out.
In plain English: You will be cursed when you come in, and cursed when you go out.
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20Yahweh will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me.
In plain English: Yahweh will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and quickly perish, because of the evil things you have done in forsaking me.
Good to know: Moses is speaking, but "forsaken me" speaks as Yahweh. The text does not mark a change of speaker, so it is not printed in gold. and do the same.
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21Yahweh will make the pestilence cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land where you go in to possess it.
In plain English: Yahweh will make disease (this Bible: pestilence) cling to you until he has wiped you out from the land you are going in to possess.
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22Yahweh will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish.
In plain English: Yahweh will strike you with wasting disease (this Bible: consumption), fever, inflammation, burning heat, the sword (or: drought), blight, and mildew. They will chase you until you perish.
The Hebrew word: "Sword" is chereb, which the dictionary gives as "drought; also a cutting instrument ... as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement". The dictionary gives both meanings for the same word.
How it is translated: This Bible says "sword" or a longer form in 366 of the 371 verses that use chereb, and "drought" in none.
What changes: Read as "sword", war is one of the troubles in the list. Read as "drought", it stands with the heat, blight, and mildew around it, as another trouble for the crops.
Good to know: Some of the illnesses named here are rare words. "Consumption" (the dictionary: "emaciation") and "fever" are found only here and in .
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23Your sky that is over your head will be bronze, and the earth that is under you will be iron.
In plain English: The sky over your head will be bronze, and the ground under you will be iron.
Good to know: uses the same picture the other way round: "I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like bronze."
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24Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky, until you are destroyed.
In plain English: Yahweh will turn the rain of your land into powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky until you are destroyed.
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25Yahweh will cause you to be struck before your enemies. You will go out one way against them, and will flee seven ways before them. You will be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.
In plain English: Yahweh will let you be beaten in front of your enemies. You will go out against them one way and run from them seven ways. You will be tossed back and forth (or: a terror) among all the kingdoms of the earth.
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26Your dead bodies will be food to all birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth; and there will be no one to frighten them away.
In plain English: Your dead bodies will be food for all the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth, and no one will scare them away.
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27Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed.
In plain English: Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with a skin disease (this Bible: scurvy), and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed.
Good to know: "The boils of Egypt" are the boils of the plague on Egypt in to . The same word for "boil" comes again in .
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28Yahweh will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart.
In plain English: Yahweh will strike you with madness, blindness, and confusion (this Bible: astonishment) of heart (of mind).
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29You will grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. You will only be oppressed and robbed always, and there will be no one to save you.
In plain English: You will feel your way at noon as a blind man feels his way in the dark. You will not succeed in anything you do. You will be oppressed and robbed all the time, and no one will save you.
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30You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit.
In plain English: You will become engaged to a wife, and another man will sleep with her. You will build a house and not live in it. You will plant a vineyard and not enjoy its fruit.
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31Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.
In plain English: Your ox will be killed before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken from you by force and not given back. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will save you.
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32Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand.
In plain English: Your sons and daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will watch and ache for them all day long, and you will be powerless.
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33A nation which you don’t know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always,
In plain English: A people you do not know will eat the fruit of your ground and all your work. You will be oppressed and crushed all the time,
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34so that the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad.
In plain English: so that what you see with your own eyes will drive you mad.
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35Yahweh will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil, of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
In plain English: Yahweh will strike your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be healed, from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
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36Yahweh will bring you, and your king whom you will set over yourselves, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers. There you will serve other gods of wood and stone.
In plain English: Yahweh will take you, and the king you set over yourselves, to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods, of wood and stone.
Good to know: The king "you set over yourselves" points back to the law about a king in to .
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37You will become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where Yahweh will lead you away.
In plain English: You will become a horror (this Bible: an astonishment), a proverb, and a byword (a taunt) among all the peoples where Yahweh will drive you.
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38You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in, for the locust will consume it.
In plain English: You will take much seed out to the field and gather little in, because the locust will eat it.
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39You will plant vineyards and dress them, but you will neither drink of the wine, nor harvest, because worms will eat them.
In plain English: You will plant vineyards and work them, but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.
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40You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off.
In plain English: You will have olive trees all through your land, but you will not rub yourself with the oil, because your olives will drop off.
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41You will father sons and daughters, but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity.
In plain English: You will have sons and daughters, but they will not be yours, because they will be taken captive.
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42Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground.
In plain English: Locusts will take over (this Bible: consume) all your trees and the fruit of your ground.
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43The foreigner who is among you will mount up above you higher and higher, and you will come down lower and lower.
In plain English: The foreigner living among you will rise higher and higher above you, and you will sink lower and lower.
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44He will lend to you, and you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.
In plain English: He will lend to you, and you will not lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.
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45All these curses will come on you, and will pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you didn’t listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you.
In plain English: All these curses will come on you, chase you, and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God and keep the commands and statutes he gave you.
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46They will be for a sign and for a wonder to you and to your offspring forever.
In plain English: They will be a sign and a wonder on you and on your descendants forever.
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47Because you didn’t serve Yahweh your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things;
In plain English: Because you did not serve Yahweh your God with joy and a glad heart when you had plenty of everything,
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48therefore you will serve your enemies whom Yahweh sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
In plain English: you will serve the enemies Yahweh sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
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49Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand,
In plain English: Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like an eagle (or: a vulture), a nation whose language you will not understand,
The Hebrew word: "Eagle" is nesher, which the dictionary gives as "the eagle (or other large bird of prey)". This Bible says "eagle" or "eagles" in 25 of the 26 verses that use it, and "vulture" or "vultures" in 3.
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50a nation of fierce facial expressions, that doesn’t respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young.
In plain English: a fierce-looking nation that has no respect for the old and no mercy for the young.
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51They will eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your ground, until you are destroyed. They also won’t leave you grain, new wine, oil, the increase of your livestock, or the young of your flock, until they have caused you to perish.
In plain English: They will eat the young of your animals and the fruit of your ground until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine, or oil, no calves or lambs, until they have wiped you out.
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52They will besiege you in all your gates until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout all your land. They will besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land which Yahweh your God has given you.
In plain English: They will besiege all your towns (literally: gates) until the high, strong walls you trusted in come down, all through your land. They will besiege all your towns all through the land Yahweh your God has given you.
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53You will eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom Yahweh your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies will distress you.
In plain English: In the siege, and in the distress your enemies bring on you, you will eat your own children (literally: the fruit of your womb), the flesh of the sons and daughters Yahweh your God has given you.
Good to know: Later books tell of this happening in a siege: and in Samaria, and , where women boil their own children.
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54The man who is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye will be evil toward his brother, toward the wife whom he loves, and toward the remnant of his children whom he has remaining,
In plain English: The most gentle and tender man among you will look with an evil eye (will begrudge food) on his brother, on the wife he loves (literally: the wife of his bosom), and on the children he has left,
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55so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because he has nothing left to him, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in all your gates.
In plain English: so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children that he is eating, because he has nothing else left, in the siege and the distress your enemy will bring on you in all your towns.
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56The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil toward the husband that she loves, toward her son, toward her daughter,
In plain English: The most gentle and tender woman among you, who would never set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will look with an evil eye on the husband she loves, on her son, and on her daughter,
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57toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates.
In plain English: and on the afterbirth (or: the newborn baby; this Bible: her young one) that comes out from between her feet, and on the children she bears. For she will eat them in secret, because she lacks everything, in the siege and the distress your enemy will bring on you in your towns.
The Hebrew word: "Her young one" is shilyah, which the dictionary gives as "a fetus or babe (as extruded in birth)". This is the only verse in the Bible that uses it.
What changes: Read as "the afterbirth", the mother begrudges even what comes out of her body after the birth. Read as "the newborn baby", she begrudges her newborn child, as she does her other children in the same verse. The text gives no more detail.
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58If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH your God,
In plain English: If you are not careful to do all the words of this law written in this book, and do not fear this glorious and awesome name, Yahweh your God,
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59then Yahweh will make your plagues and the plagues of your offspring fearful, even great plagues, and of long duration, and severe sicknesses, and of long duration.
In plain English: then Yahweh will make your plagues and the plagues of your descendants extraordinary (this Bible: fearful): great and lasting plagues, and severe and lasting sicknesses.
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60He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they will cling to you.
In plain English: He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt that you were afraid of, and they will cling to you.
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61Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, Yahweh will bring them on you until you are destroyed.
In plain English: Yahweh will also bring on you every sickness and every plague not written in the book of this law, until you are destroyed.
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
62You will be left few in number, even though you were as the stars of the sky for multitude, because you didn’t listen to Yahweh your God’s voice.
In plain English: Though you were as many as the stars in the sky, you will be left few in number, because you did not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
63It will happen that as Yahweh rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you, so Yahweh will rejoice over you to cause you to perish and to destroy you. You will be plucked from the land that you are going in to possess.
In plain English: Just as Yahweh rejoiced over you to do you good and make you many, so Yahweh will rejoice over you to make you perish and destroy you. You will be torn away from the land you are going in to possess.
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
64Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. There you will serve other gods which you have not known, you nor your fathers, even wood and stone.
In plain English: Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will serve other gods of wood and stone, gods that neither you nor your fathers have known.
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
65Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul.
In plain English: Among those nations you will find no ease and no resting place for the sole of your foot. There Yahweh will give you a trembling heart, eyes that fail, and a despairing soul.
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
66Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day, and will have no assurance of your life.
In plain English: Your life will hang in doubt before you (literally: will hang in front of you). You will be afraid night and day, and you will never be sure you will live.
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
67In the morning you will say, “I wish it were evening!” and at evening you will say, “I wish it were morning!” for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see.
In plain English: In the morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening you will say, "If only it were morning!" because of the fear in your heart and the things your eyes will see.
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
68Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told you that you would never see it again. There you will offer yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you.
In plain English: Yahweh will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way I told you that you would never see again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, and no one will buy you.
Good to know: "The way I told you that you would never see again" points back to , where Moses says Yahweh has said, "You shall not go back that way again."
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How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.