^29:19When such a person¹⁹ hears the words of this oath he secretly²⁰ blesses himself²¹ and says, “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.”²² This will destroy²³ the watered ground with the parched.²⁴^29:20The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger²⁵ will rage²⁶ against that man; all the curses²⁷ written in this scroll will fall upon him²⁸ and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory.²⁹^29:21The Lord will single him out³⁰ for judgment³¹ from all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant written in this scroll of the law.

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Footnotes

19 Heb “he”; the referent (the subject of the warning in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 Heb “in his heart.”
21 Or “invokes a blessing on himself.” A formalized word of blessing is in view, the content of which appears later in the verse.
22 Heb “heart.”
23 Heb “thus destroying.” For stylistic reasons the translation begins a new sentence here.
24 Heb “the watered with the parched.” The word “ground” is implied. The exact meaning of the phrase is uncertain although it appears to be figurative. This appears to be a proverbial observation employing a figure of speech (a merism) suggesting totality. That is, the Israelite who violates the letter and even spirit of the covenant will harm not only himself but everything he touches—“the watered and the parched.” Cf. “you will cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.”
25 Heb “the wrath of the Lord and his zeal.” The expression is a hendiadys, a figure in which the second noun becomes adjectival to the first.
26 Heb “smoke,” or “smolder.”
27 Heb “the entire oath.”
28 Or “will lie in wait against him.”
29 Heb “blot out his name from under the sky.”
30 Heb “set him apart.”
31 Heb “for evil”; “for doom”; “for adversity”; “for disaster”; “for calamity.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. And the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven. The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt, thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.’ This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land. The Lord will not be willing to forgive him. Instead, his anger and jealousy will burn against that person, and every curse written in this scroll will descend on him. The Lord will blot out his name under heaven, and single him out for harm from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin! The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the Lord will erase their names from under heaven. The Lord will separate them from all the tribes of Israel, to pour out on them all the curses of the covenant recorded in this Book of Instruction.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And then when he hears the words of this oath, then he will assure himself in his heart, saying, ‘Safety shall be mine even though I go in the stubbornness of my heart,’ thereby destroying the well-watered land along with the parched. Yahweh will not be willing to forgive him, for by then the anger of Yahweh will smoke, and his passion against that man and all the curses written in this scroll will descend on him, and Yahweh will blot out his name from under heaven. And Yahweh will single him out for calamity out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant written in the scroll of this law.

KJV 1900King James Version

And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven. And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law:

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