24 Perhaps a man will marry a woman and then he discovers something that brings shame on her. So she does not please him any more. He must write a letter to say that they are no longer married. He gives the letter to his wife. Then he can send her away from his house. 2 After she has left his house, she might marry another man.
3 Later, her second husband may also not like her any more. So he also gives her a letter to finish the marriage. He sends her away from his house too. Or perhaps her second husband dies. 4 If that happens, her first husband must not marry her again. That is because she has had sex with another man. To marry her again would be a sin that the Lord hates. You must not do sins like that in the land that the Lord your God is giving to you as your new home.
5 When a man has just married, do not send him away to fight in the army. Do not make him work at jobs in other places. He should stay at home for one year. Then he can make his new wife very happy.
6 When you lend money to people, you may take something from them as a guarantee. But do not take the stones that they use to make grain into flour. Do not take either of the stones. People need both those stones to make food to stay alive. So do not take away their life.
7 A man might take hold of another Israelite and make him his slave. He might try to sell him as a slave. Anyone who does that must die. You must remove evil things from among you.
8 If you have leprosy, be very careful! Do everything that the Levite priests tell you to do. You must obey everything that I have commanded them. 9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam after you left Egypt. [ a ]
10 If you lend something to your neighbour you may take something from him as a guarantee. [ b ] But do not go into his house to take it. 11 You must wait outside the house. Then your neighbour can bring out what he has chosen to give you. 12 If the person is poor, do not take his coat and keep it with you all night. 13 You must always give his coat back to him before sunset. Then he can sleep in it to keep himself warm. He will ask God to bless you because you have been kind. The Lord your God will know that you have done the right thing.
14 Do not be cruel to any poor or helpless person who works for you. Be kind to him, whether he is an Israelite or a foreigner who lives in one of your towns. 15 You must pay him for his work every day before sunset. Remember that he is poor. He needs the money to stay alive. If you do not pay him, he may complain against you to the Lord . The Lord would say that you are guilty of a sin.
16 You must not punish fathers with death for the sins that their children do. You must not punish children with death for the sins that their fathers do. Each person must die only because of his own sins.
17 Remember to be completely fair to foreigners and to children who have no family. If you lend money to a widow, do not take her coat as a guarantee. 18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God rescued you from there. That is why I am commanding you to do these things.
19 At harvest time, you might forget to bring in all the crops from your fields. Do not go back to pick up all the grain. Leave it there for foreigners, widows and children who have no family. If you do that, the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.
20 When you knock the olives off your trees, shake each branch only once. Leave the olives that remain for foreigners, widows and children who have no family. 21 When you pick your grapes, pick only once from each vine. Leave the grapes that remain for foreigners, widows and children who have no family. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I am commanding you to do all these things.
24 “A man might marry a woman, and then find some secret thing about her that he does not like. If that man is not pleased with her, he must write the divorce papers and give them to her. Then he must send her from his house. 2 When she has left his house, she may go and become another man’s wife. 3-4 But suppose the new husband also does not like her and sends her away. If that man divorces her, the first husband may not take her again to be his wife. Or if the new husband dies, her first husband may not take her again to be his wife. She has become unclean to him. If he married her again, he would be doing something the Lord hates. You must not sin like this in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
5 “When a man is newly married, he must not be sent into the army. And he must not be given any other special work. For one year he must be free to stay home and make his new wife happy.
6 “When you lend someone something, you must not take as security [ a ] any part of the stones used to grind flour. That would be the same as taking away their food.
7 “Someone might kidnap another Israelite—one of their own people. And that kidnapper might sell that person as a slave. If that happens, that kidnapper must be killed. You must remove this evil from your group.
8 “When you have a very bad skin disease, be very careful to follow everything the Levite priests teach you. You must follow carefully what I told the priests to do. 9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam [ b ] on your trip out of Egypt.
10 “When you give someone any kind of loan, you must not go into their house to get security. 11 You must stand outside. Then the person who you gave the loan to will bring out the security to you. 12 If he is a poor man, then he might give the clothes that keep him warm . You must not keep that security overnight. 13 You must give his security back to him every evening. Then he will have clothes to sleep in. He will bless you, and the Lord your God will accept this as living right and doing good.
14 “You must not cheat a hired servant who is poor and needy. It does not matter if he is an Israelite or if he is a foreigner living in one of your cities. 15 Give him his pay every day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on the money. If you don’t pay him, he will complain against you to the Lord , and you will be guilty of sin.
16 “Parents must not be put to death for something their children did. And children must not be put to death for something their parents did. People should be put to death only for a bad thing that they themselves did.
17 “You must make sure that foreigners and orphans are treated fairly. And you must never take clothes from a widow as security. 18 Remember, you were poor slaves in Egypt. And the Lord your God took you from that place and set you free. That is why I tell you to do these things for the poor.
19 “You might be gathering your harvest in the field, and you might forget and leave some grain there. You must not go back to get it. It will be for the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows. If you leave some grain for them, the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you must not go back to check the branches. The olives you leave will be for the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows. 21 When you gather the grapes from your vineyard, you must not go back to gather the grapes you left. They will be for the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows. 22 Remember you were poor slaves in Egypt. That is why I tell you to do these things for the poor.
24 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord : and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.
6 No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man's life to pledge.
7 If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.
8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.
9 Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.
10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
11 Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.
12 And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:
13 In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God.
14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:
15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord , and it be sin unto thee.
16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge:
18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
19 When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.
20 When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
24 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens, if she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some ( A ) indecency in her, that ( B ) he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and [ a ] sends her away from his house, 2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife , 3 and the latter husband [ b ] turns against her, writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand, and [ c ] sends her away from his house, or if the latter husband who took her to be his wife dies, 4 then her ( C ) former husband who [ d ] sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, after [ e ] she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord , and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
5 “ ( D ) When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army, nor be assigned any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall ( E ) make his wife whom he has taken happy.
6 “No one shall seize a handmill or an upper millstone as a pledge for a loan , since he would be seizing the debtor’s [ f ] means of life as a pledge.
7 “ ( F ) If someone is [ g ] caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he treats him as merchandise and sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall eliminate the evil from among you.
8 “ ( G ) Be careful about an infestation of leprosy, that you are very attentive and act in accordance with everything that the Levitical priests teach you; just as I have commanded them, you shall be careful to act. 9 Remember what the Lord your God did ( H ) to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.
10 “ ( I ) When you make your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. 11 You shall stand outside, and the person to whom you are making the loan shall bring the pledge outside to you. 12 And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. 13 ( J ) When the sun goes down you shall certainly return the pledge to him, so that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and ( K ) it will be righteousness for you before the Lord your God.
14 “ ( L ) You shall not exploit a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your strangers who are in your land in your [ h ] towns. 15 ( M ) You shall give him his wages on his day [ i ] before the sun sets—for he is poor and sets his [ j ] heart on it—so that ( N ) he does not cry out against you to the Lord , and it becomes a sin in you.
16 “ ( O ) Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin alone .
17 “ ( P ) You shall not pervert the justice [ k ] due a stranger or [ l ] an orphan, nor ( Q ) seize a widow’s garment as a [ m ] pledge. 18 But you are to remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
19 “ ( R ) When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you are not to go back to get it; it shall belong ( S ) to the stranger, the [ n ] orphan, and to the widow, in order that the Lord your God ( T ) may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 ( U ) When you beat the olives off your olive tree, you are not to search through the branches [ o ] again; that shall be left ( V ) for the stranger, the [ p ] orphan, and for the widow.
21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you are not to [ q ] go over it again; that shall be left for the stranger, the [ r ] orphan, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
24 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him ( A ) because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, ( B ) gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord . Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord ( C ) your God is giving you as an inheritance.
5 If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. ( D )
6 Do not take a pair of millstones—not even the upper one—as security for a debt, because that would be taking a person’s livelihood as security. ( E )
7 If someone is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite and treating or selling them as a slave, the kidnapper must die. ( F ) You must purge the evil from among you. ( G )
8 In cases of defiling skin diseases, [ a ] be very careful to do exactly as the Levitical ( H ) priests instruct you. You must follow carefully what I have commanded them. ( I ) 9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt. ( J )
10 When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into their house to get what is offered to you as a pledge. ( K ) 11 Stay outside and let the neighbor to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. 12 If the neighbor is poor, do not go to sleep with their pledge ( L ) in your possession. 13 Return their cloak by sunset ( M ) so that your neighbor may sleep in it. ( N ) Then they will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the Lord your God. ( O )
14 Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. ( P ) 15 Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor ( Q ) and are counting on it. ( R ) Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. ( S )
16 Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin. ( T )
17 Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless ( U ) of justice, ( V ) or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. 18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt ( W ) and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.
19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. ( X ) Leave it for the foreigner, ( Y ) the fatherless and the widow, ( Z ) so that the Lord your God may bless ( AA ) you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. ( AB ) Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this. ( AC )
