Deuteronomy 26:17-19

26:17 Today you have declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commandments, and ordinances, and obey him. 26:18 And today the Lord has declared you to be his special people (as he already promised you) so you may keep all his commandments. 26:19 Then ¹  he will elevate you above all the nations he has made and you will receive praise, fame, and honor. ²  You will ³  be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he has said.

Joshua 24:21-25

24:21 The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will ⁴  worship ⁵  the Lord!” 24:22 Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” ⁶  They replied, “We are witnesses!” ⁷  24:23 Joshua said, ⁸  “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to ⁹  the Lord God of Israel.”

24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship ¹⁰  the Lord our God and obey him.” ¹¹ 

24:25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement ¹²  for the people, and he established rules and regulations ¹³  for them in Shechem.

Isaiah 44:5

44:5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’

and another will use ¹⁴  the name ‘Jacob.’

One will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’

and use the name ‘Israel.’” ¹⁵ 

[26:19]  ¹ tn Heb “so that.” Verses 18-19 are one sentence in the Hebrew text, but the translation divides it into three sentences for stylistic reasons. The first clause in verse 19 gives a result of the preceding clause. When Israel keeps God’s law, God will bless them with fame and honor (cf. NAB “he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory”; NLT “And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation”).

[26:19]  ² tn Heb “for praise and for a name and for glory.”

[26:19]  ³ tn Heb “and to be.” A new sentence was started here for stylistic reasons.

[24:21]  ⁴ tn The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is emphatic. Another option is to take it as explanatory, “No, for we will….”

[24:21]  ⁵ tn Or “will serve.”

[24:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord to serve him.”

[24:22]  ⁷ sn Like witnesses in a court of law, Israel’s solemn vow to worship the Lord will testify against them in the divine court if the nation ever violates its commitment.

[24:23]  ⁸ tn The words “Joshua said” are supplied for clarification.

[24:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “bend your heart toward.” The term לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) probably here refers to the people’s volition or will.

[24:24]  ¹⁰ tn Or “will serve.”

[24:24]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and listen to his voice.”

[24:25]  ¹² tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[24:25]  ¹³ tn Heb “a statute and a judgment.”

[44:5]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text has a Qal verb form, “and another will call by the name of Jacob.” With support from Symmachus (an ancient Greek textual witness), some read the Niphal, “and another will be called by the name of Jacob.”

[44:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and by the name of Israel he will title.” Some, with support from several ancient versions, prefer to change the Piel (active) verb form to a Pual (passive), “and he will be titled by the name of Israel.”