King James Version

Deuteronomy 23:13

And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Deuteronomy 23:14.

וְיָתֵ֛דveyatedand nailיָתֵדconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and nail”, the ordinary formH3489a pegnail, paddle, pin, stake.תִּהְיֶ֥הtihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לְךָ֖lekhatoלְךָ֖preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toעַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָazenekhaweaponאָזֵןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “weapon”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH240a spade or paddle (as having a broad end)weapon.וְהָיָה֙vehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣beshivtekhain dwellיָשַׁבpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “in dwell”, the to-form of the verbH3427properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, r…ח֔וּץchutsabroadחוּץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “abroad”, the ordinary formH2351properly, separate by awall, i.e. outside, outdoorsabroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.וְחָפַרְתָּ֣הvechafartahand search outחָפַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and search out”, a completed action in a sequenceH2658properly, to pry into; by implication, to delve, to exploredig, paw, search out, seek.בָ֔הּvahinבָ֔הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”inוְשַׁבְתָּ֖veshavtaand againשׁוּבconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and again”, a completed action in a sequenceH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…וְכִסִּ֥יתָvekhisitaand coverכָּסָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and cover”, a completed action in a sequenceH3680properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy)clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm. Compare H3780 (כָּשָׂה).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).צֵאָתֶֽךָtseatekhathat cometh fromצָאָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “that cometh from”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6627issue, i.e. (human) excrementthat (which) cometh from (out).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(23-14) And thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

and thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

Young’s Literal Translation

and a nail thou hast on thy staff, and it hath been, in thy sitting without, that thou hast digged with it, and turned back, and covered thy filth;

World English Bible

You shall have a trowel among your weapons. It shall be, when you relieve yourself, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover your excrement;

Darby Translation

And thou shalt have a shovel amongst thy weapons, and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which is come from thee.

Douay-Rheims

Carrying a paddle at thy girdle. And when thou sittest down, thou shalt dig round about, and with the earth that is dug up thou shalt cover

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(23-14) And thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and thou shalt have a trowel on thy girdle; and it shall come to pass when thou wouldest relieve thyself abroad, that thou shalt dig with it, and shalt bring back the earth and cover thy nuisance.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ πάσσαλος ἔσται σοι ἐπὶ τῆς ζώνης σου· καὶ ἔσται ὅταν διακαθιζάνῃς ἔξω, καὶ ὀρύξεις ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπαγαγὼν καλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην σου·