Deuteronomy 30:19

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הַעִידֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֮ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ֒ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ

Transliteration

haʿîdōtî against you today ʾet-the šāmayim and ʾet-the ʾāreṣ; the ḥayyîm and the māwet nātattî before you, the bərākāh and the qəlālāh; and ûbāḥartā in the ḥayyîm, so that ləmaʿan tiḥyeh you and your zarʿekā

Grammar Details

• *haʿîdōtî*: hiphil perfect, 1st singular - I have called to witness
• *šāmayim*: masculine dual noun with definite article - the heavens
• *ʾāreṣ*: feminine singular noun with definite article - the earth/land
• *ḥayyîm*: masculine plural noun with definite article - the life
• *māwet*: masculine singular noun with definite article - the death
• *nātattî*: qal perfect, 1st singular - I have set/placed
• *bərākāh*: feminine singular noun with definite article - the blessing
• *qəlālāh*: feminine singular noun with definite article - the curse
• *ûbāḥartā*: waw-consecutive + qal perfect, 2nd masculine singular - and choose
• *ləmaʿan tiḥyeh*: conjunction + qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - so that you may live
• *zarʿekā*: masculine singular noun with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your seed/offspring

Word Meanings

• *haʿîdōtî*: call to witness/testify against/invoke as witness
• *šāmayim*: heavens/sky
• *ʾāreṣ*: earth/land/ground
• *ḥayyîm*: life/living
• *māwet*: death/dying
• *nātattî*: set/place/put before
• *bərākāh*: blessing/benediction
• *qəlālāh*: curse/cursing
• *ûbāḥartā*: choose/select/elect
• *tiḥyeh*: live/be alive/have life
• *zarʿekā*: your seed/offspring/descendants

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and ath, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live:

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  I call{H5749} heaven{H8064} and earth{H776} to witness{H5749} against you this day,{H3117} that I have set{H5414} before{H6440} thee life{H2416} and death,{H4194} the blessing{H1293} and the curse:{H7045} therefore choose{H977} life,{H2416} that thou mayest live,{H2421} thou and thy seed;{H2233}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  I call{H5749} heaven{H8064} and earth{H776} to record{H5749}{(H8689)} this day{H3117} against you, that I have set{H5414}{(H8804)} before{H6440} you life{H2416} and death{H4194}, blessing{H1293} and cursing{H7045}: therefore choose{H977}{(H8804)} life{H2416}, that both thou and thy seed{H2233} may live{H2421}{(H8799)}:

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  I call to recorde this daye vnto you, heauen and erth, that I haue sett before you lyfe and deeth, blessynge and cursynge: but chose lyfe, that thou and thi seed maye lyue,

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  I take heauen and earth this daye to recorde ouer you: I haue layed before you life and death, blessinge and cursinge, that thou mayest chose life, and that thou and thy sede maye lyue,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  I call heauen and earth to recorde this day against you, that I haue set before you life & death, blessing and cursing. therefore chuse life, that both thou and thy seede may liue,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  I call heauen and earth to recorde this day agaynst you, that I haue set before you, lyfe and death, blessyng and cursyng: Therfore choose lyfe, that both thou and thy seede may lyue:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `I have caused to testify against you to-day the heavens and the earth; life and death I have set before thee, the blessing and the reviling; and thou hast fixed on life, so that thou dost live, thou and thy seed,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed;

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Let heaven and earth be my witnesses against you this day that I have put before you life and death, a blessing and a curse: so take life for yourselves and for your seed:

• World English Bible (2000)

  I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live!

Referenced Verses

• Deut 30:15 : 15 See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.
• Deut 11:26 : 26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—
• Deut 30:1 : 1 When all these things come upon you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you,
• Prov 8:36 : 36 But whoever sins against me wrongs his own soul; all who hate me love death.
• Ps 119:30 : 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set Your judgments before me.
• Deut 4:26 : 26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will surely be quickly destroyed from the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not extend your days there but will be utterly destroyed.
• 1 Tim 5:21 : 21 I solemnly charge you, in the presence of God, and of Christ Jesus, and of the chosen angels, to observe these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism.
• Deut 31:28 : 28 'Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them.
• Deut 32:1 : 1 Listen, heavens, and I will speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
• Josh 24:15-22 : 15 But if it seems undesirable to you to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve—whether the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD. 16 The people replied, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 For the LORD our God is the one who brought us and our ancestors up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He performed great signs before our eyes, protected us along the entire way we traveled, and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed. 18 The LORD drove out all the peoples before us, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, for He is our God. 19 Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you abandon the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring harm to you and destroy you, after He has been good to you. 21 But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD. 22 Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD." And they said, "We are witnesses."
• Ps 119:173 : 173 May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.
• Mic 6:1-2 : 1 Listen now to what the Lord says: "Arise, present your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice." 2 Hear, O mountains, the Lord's lawsuit, and you enduring foundations of the earth. For the Lord has a case against His people, and He will dispute with Israel.
• Luke 10:42 : 42 'But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'
• Acts 2:39 : 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.'
• Jer 2:12-13 : 12 Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the LORD. 13 For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
• Jer 22:29-30 : 29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD! 30 This is what the LORD says: Record this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will succeed in sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.
• Jer 32:39 : 39 I will give them one heart and one way so that they may always fear Me, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
• Isa 1:2 : 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: "I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
• Isa 56:4 : 4 For this is what the LORD says: 'To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold tightly to my covenant,
• Prov 1:29 : 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
• Ps 119:111 : 111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.