23 Perhaps a man has sex parts that someone has destroyed or spoiled. That man cannot join with the Lord 's people when they meet together. 2 If someone was born when his parents were not properly married, he cannot join with the Lord 's people. His descendants may not meet with the Lord 's people to worship the Lord either. That will continue to the tenth generation of the man's descendants.
3 Ammonite and Moabite people also cannot join with the Lord 's people when they come together to worship him. Even the tenth generation of their descendants can never do this. 4 The people of those nations refused to help you when you were leaving Egypt. They did not give you food or water. Also, they paid Beor's son Balaam to curse you. He came from Pethor in Mesopotamia. 5 But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. He refused to curse you. Instead, he blessed you. The Lord your God did that because he loves you. 6 You must never do anything to help these two nations. Do not let them live in peace.
7 But do not hate anyone from Edom. The Edomites have the same ancestor as you. Do not hate an Egyptian person. You once lived as foreigners in Egypt. 8 The third generation of their descendants can join with the Lord 's people when they meet together to worship him.
9 Your soldiers may be living in tents while they fight against your enemies. They must keep away from anything that makes them unclean. 10 While a man is asleep, semen may come from his sex part. That makes him unclean so he must go outside the camp. He must stay there all day. 11 In the evening, he must wash himself. At sunset he can return into the camp.
12 You must choose a special place outside the camp. Use that place as your toilet. 13 Always carry a small spade with your other tools. When you go to the toilet, dig a hole with your spade. Then bury your dung in it and cover it with earth. 14 For the Lord your God moves among you in your camp. He keeps you safe from your enemies so that you win against them. So make sure that your camp is a holy place. The Lord must not see anything that would bring shame on you. Do not make him turn away from you.
15 Someone's slave may escape from his master and come to you. If that happens, do not send him back to his master. 16 He can live anywhere among you. He may choose to live in any of your towns that he likes. Do not be cruel to him.
17 No Israelite man or woman must ever become a prostitute at places where people worship their gods. 18 You must not bring the money that people pay to these prostitutes into the Lord 's temple. Do not use it to offer a gift that you have promised to the Lord your God. He hates prostitutes, both men and women.
19 You may lend money or food or anything else to another Israelite. But do not ask him to give you back more than you lent to him. 20 You can ask a foreign person to pay back more, but not an Israelite. If you obey this command, the Lord your God will bless you. When you live in your new land, God will bless everything that you do.
21 If you promise to give something to the Lord your God, be careful to bring your gift soon. If you do not bring it, that is a sin. The Lord will certainly demand it from you. 22 You may choose not to promise any gift. That is not a sin. 23 But whatever you promise to do, you must be careful to do it. If you choose to promise a gift to the Lord your God, give it soon.
24 If you go into your neighbour's vineyard, you may eat some of the grapes. You may eat as many grapes as you want, but do not carry any away in a basket. 25 If you go into your neighbour's field of grain, you may eat some of it. You may pick some grain with your hands, but do not use a knife to cut it down. [ a ]
23 “A man with a crushed testicle or part of his sex organ cut off may not join with the men of Israel to worship the Lord . 2 If a man’s parents were not legally married, that man may not join with the men of Israel to worship the Lord . And none of his descendants to the tenth generation—may join in that group.
3 “An Ammonite or Moabite may not join with the men of Israel when they gather to worship the Lord . And none of their descendants, to the tenth generation, may join in the worship of the Lord . 4 The Ammonites and Moabites refused to give you bread and water on your trip at the time you came from Egypt. They also tried to hire Balaam, the son of Beor from the Mesopotamian city of Pethor, to curse you. 5 But the Lord your God refused to do what Balaam asked. Instead, the Lord changed the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. 6 You must never try to make peace with the Ammonites or Moabites. As long as you live, don’t be friendly to them.
7 “You must not hate Edomites, because they are your relatives. You must not hate Egyptians, because you were a stranger in their land. 8 The children of the third generation born to the Edomites and Egyptians may join with the people of Israel to worship the Lord .
9 “When your army goes to fight against your enemies, stay away from everything that would make you unclean. 10 If there is any man who is unclean because he had a flow of semen during the night, he must go out of the camp. He must stay away from the camp. 11 Then, when evening comes, the man must bathe himself in water. And when the sun goes down, he may come into the camp again.
12 “You also must have a place outside the camp where people can go to relieve themselves. 13 Among your weapons, you must also carry a stick to dig with. Then, when you relieve yourself, you must dig a hole and cover it up. 14 This is because the Lord your God is there with you in your camp to save you and to help you defeat your enemies. So the camp must be holy. Then he will not see something disgusting and leave you.
15 “If slaves run away and come to you, don’t force them to go back to their masters. 16 Runaway slaves may live with you wherever they like in whatever city they choose. You must not trouble them.
17 “An Israelite man or woman must never become a temple prostitute. 18 The money earned by a prostitute, either a male or female, must not be brought to the special house of the Lord your God. That money cannot be used to pay for a gift that was promised to the Lord your God, because that kind of sin is disgusting to him.
19 “When you loan something to another Israelite, you must not charge interest. Don’t charge interest on money, on food or on anything that may earn interest. 20 You may charge interest to a foreigner. But you must not charge interest to another Israelite. If you follow these rules, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do in the land where you are going to live.
21 “When you make a promise to the Lord your God, don’t be slow to pay everything you promised. The Lord your God will demand that you pay it. You will sin if you don’t pay what you promised. 22 If you don’t make a promise, you are not sinning. 23 But you must do what you say you will do. If you choose to make a promise to the Lord your God, you must do what you promised.
24 “When you go through another person’s vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you want. But you cannot put any of the grapes in your basket. 25 When you go through another person’s field of grain, you may eat all the grain you can pick with your hands. But you cannot use a sickle to cut that person’s grain and take it with you.
23 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord .
2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord ; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord .
3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord ; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:
4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
5 Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.
6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation.
9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
10 If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:
11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.
12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:
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:
14 For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.
19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
23 “ ( A ) No one who is [ a ] emasculated or has his male organ cut off may enter the assembly of the Lord . 2 No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the Lord ; none of his descendants , even to the tenth generation, may enter the assembly of the Lord . 3 ( B ) No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord ; none of their descendants , even to the tenth generation, may ever enter the assembly of the Lord , 4 ( C ) because they did not meet you with [ b ] food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you ( D ) Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of [ c ] Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 Nevertheless, the Lord your God was unwilling to listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God ( E ) turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God ( F ) loves you. 6 ( G ) You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.
7 “You shall not loathe an [ d ] Edomite, for ( H ) he is your brother; you shall not loathe an Egyptian, ( I ) because you were a stranger in his land. 8 The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord .
9 “When you go out as [ e ] an army against your enemies, you shall be on guard against every evil thing.
10 “ ( J ) If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not [ f ] reenter the camp. 11 But when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may [ g ] reenter the camp.
12 “You shall also have a place allocated outside the camp, so that you may go out there to relieve yourself , 13 and you shall have a [ h ] spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn and cover up your excrement. 14 Since ( K ) the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to save you and to [ i ] defeat your enemies before you, your camp must be ( L ) holy; so He must not see [ j ] anything indecent among you [ k ] or He will turn away from you.
15 “ ( M ) You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has [ l ] escaped from his master to you. 16 He shall live with you in your midst, in the place that he chooses in one of your [ m ] towns where it pleases him; ( N ) you shall not mistreat him.
17 “ ( O ) None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, ( P ) nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a cult prostitute. 18 You shall not bring the earnings of a prostitute or the money for a [ n ] ( Q ) dog into the house of the Lord your God as payment for any vowed offering, because both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God.
19 “ ( R ) You are not to charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned on interest. 20 ( S ) You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that ( T ) the Lord your God may bless you in all [ o ] that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to [ p ] possess.
21 “ ( U ) When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly require it of you, and it will be a sin [ q ] for you. 22 However, if you refrain from making vows, it will not be a sin [ r ] for you. 23 You shall be careful and perform what goes out of your lips, since in fact you have vowed a [ s ] voluntary offering to the Lord your God, whatever you have [ t ] promised.
24 “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat grapes [ u ] until you are satisfied; but you are not to put any in your [ v ] basket.
25 “ ( V ) When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads of grain with your hand, but you are not to [ w ] use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.
23 [ a ] No one who has been emasculated ( A ) by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord .
2 No one born of a forbidden marriage [ b ] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord , not even in the tenth generation.
3 No Ammonite ( B ) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord , not even in the tenth generation. ( C ) 4 For they did not come to meet you with bread and water ( D ) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam ( E ) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim [ c ] ( F ) to pronounce a curse on you. ( G ) 5 However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse ( H ) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves ( I ) you. 6 Do not seek a treaty ( J ) of friendship with them as long as you live. ( K )
7 Do not despise an Edomite, ( L ) for the Edomites are related to you. ( M ) Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country. ( N ) 8 The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord .
9 When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure. ( O ) 10 If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. ( P ) 11 But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset ( Q ) he may return to the camp. ( R )
12 Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. 13 As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God moves ( S ) about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, ( T ) so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.
15 If a slave has taken refuge ( U ) with you, do not hand them over to their master. ( V ) 16 Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress ( W ) them.
17 No Israelite man ( X ) or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. ( Y ) 18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute [ d ] into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both. ( Z )
19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. ( AA ) 20 You may charge a foreigner ( AB ) interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless ( AC ) you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.
21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, ( AD ) for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. ( AE ) 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. ( AF ) 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.
24 If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25 If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain. ( AG )
