Deuteronomy 30:19

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:

📖 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

• 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,

• 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:

• 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 this day life and good, and death and evil;
• Deut 11:26 : 26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
• Deut 30:1 : 1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall 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 those who hate me love death.
• Ps 119:30 : 30 I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.
• Deut 4:26 : 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land where you go over Jordan to possess it; you shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
• 1 Tim 5:21 : 21 I charge you before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.
• Deut 31:28 : 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
• Deut 32:1 : 1 Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
• Josh 24:15-22 : 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. 16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; 17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: 18 And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who lived in the land: therefore we will also serve the LORD; for he is our God. 19 And Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the LORD: for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after he has done you good. 21 And the people said to Joshua, No; but we will serve the LORD. 22 And Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
• Ps 119:173 : 173 Let Your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts.
• Mic 6:1-2 : 1 Hear now what the LORD says; Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2 Hear, O mountains, the LORD'S dispute, and you strong foundations of the earth, for the LORD has a dispute with His people, and He will plead with Israel.
• Luke 10:42 : 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.
• Acts 2:39 : 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
• Jer 2:12-13 : 12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be very desolate, says the LORD. 13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and carved themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
• Jer 22:29-30 : 29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 30 Thus says the LORD, Write this man childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his descendants shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.
• Jer 32:39 : 39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and their children after them:
• Isa 1:2 : 2 Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
• Isa 56:4 : 4 For thus says the LORD to the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
• Prov 1:29 : 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD;
• Ps 119:111 : 111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.