Exodus 14-22

New International Reader's Version

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. ² He said, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back. Have them camp near Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the Red Sea. They must camp by the sea, right across from Baal Zephon. ³ Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land. They don’t know which way to go. The desert is all around them.’ ⁴ I will make Pharaoh stubborn. He will chase them. But I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh and his whole army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites camped by the Red Sea.

⁵ The king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped. Then Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, “What have we done? We’ve let the people of Israel go! We’ve lost our slaves and all the work they used to do for us!” ⁶ So he had his chariot made ready. He took his army with him. ⁷ He took 600 of the best chariots in Egypt. He also took along all the other chariots. Officers were in charge of all of them. ⁸ The Lord made Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, stubborn. So he chased the Israelites as they were marching out boldly. ⁹ The Egyptians went after the Israelites. All Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen and troops chased them. They caught up with the Israelites as they camped by the sea. The Israelites were near Pi Hahiroth, across from Baal Zephon.

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked back. There were the Egyptians marching after them! The Israelites were terrified. They cried out to the Lord. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us to the desert to die? Weren’t there any graves in Egypt? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² We told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians.’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!”

¹³ Moses answered the people. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you. Just be still.”

¹⁵ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people of Israel to move on. ¹⁶ Hold out your walking stick. Reach out your hand over the Red Sea to divide the water. Then the people can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will make the Egyptians stubborn. They will go in after the Israelites. I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his army, chariots and horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will gain glory because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

¹⁹ The angel of God had been traveling in front of Israel’s army. Now he moved back and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved away from in front of them. Now it stood behind them. ²⁰ It came between the armies of Egypt and Israel. All through the night the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other. Neither army went near the other all night long.

²¹ Then Moses reached out his hand over the Red Sea. All that night the Lord pushed the sea back with a strong east wind. He turned the sea into dry land. The waters were divided. ²² The people of Israel went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians chased them. All Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. ²⁴ Near the end of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud. He saw the Egyptian army and threw it into a panic. ²⁵ He jammed the wheels of their chariots. That made the chariots hard to drive. The Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for Israel against Egypt.”

²⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand over the sea. The waters will flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” ²⁷ So Moses reached out his hand over the sea. At sunrise the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians tried to run away from the sea. But the Lord swept them into it. ²⁸ The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen. It covered the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the people of Israel into the sea. Not one of the Egyptians was left.

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of Egypt. The Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. ³¹ The Israelites saw the amazing power the Lord showed against the Egyptians. So the Israelites had great respect for the Lord and put their trust in him. They also put their trust in his servant Moses.

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15 Here is the song that Moses and the people of Israel sang to the Lord. They said,

¹⁹ Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the Red Sea. The Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the people of Israel walked through the sea on dry ground. ²⁰ Aaron’s sister Miriam was a prophet. She took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her. They played tambourines and danced. ²¹ Miriam sang to them,

The Waters of Marah and Elim

²² Then Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea. They went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert. They didn’t find any water there. ²³ When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink its water. It was bitter. That’s why the place is named Marah. ²⁴ The people told Moses they weren’t happy with him. They said, “What are we supposed to drink?”

²⁵ Then Moses cried out to the Lord. The Lord showed him a stick. Moses threw it into the water. The water became fit to drink.

There the Lord gave a ruling and instruction for the people. And there he tested them. ²⁶ He said, “I am the Lord your God. Listen carefully to me. Do what is right in my eyes. Pay attention to my commands. Obey all my rules. If you do, I will not send on you any of the sicknesses I sent on the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you.”

²⁷ The people came to Elim. It had 12 springs and 70 palm trees. They camped there near the water.

The Lord Gives Israel Food Every Day

16 The whole community of Israel started out from Elim. They came to the Desert of Sin. It was between Elim and Sinai. They arrived there on the 15th day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. ² In the desert the whole community told Moses and Aaron they weren’t happy with them. ³ The Israelites said to them, “We wish the Lord had put us to death in Egypt. There we sat around pots of meat. We ate all the food we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert. You must want this entire community to die of hunger.”

⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people must go out each day. Have them gather enough bread for that day. Here is how I will test them. I will see if they will follow my directions. ⁵ On the sixth day they must prepare what they bring in. On that day they must gather twice as much as on the other days.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron spoke to all the people of Israel. They said, “In the evening you will know that the Lord brought you out of Egypt. ⁷ And in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord. He has heard you say you aren’t happy with him. Who are we? Why are you telling us you aren’t happy with us?” ⁸ Moses also said, “You will know that the Lord has heard you speak against him. He will give you meat to eat in the evening. He’ll give you all the bread you want in the morning. But who are we? You aren’t speaking against us. You are speaking against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, “Talk to the whole community of Israel. Say to them, ‘Come to the Lord. He has heard you speak against him.’ ”

¹⁰ While Aaron was talking to the whole community of Israel, they looked toward the desert. There was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud!

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the people of Israel talking about how unhappy they are. Tell them, ‘When the sun goes down, you will eat meat. In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

¹³ That evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning the ground around the camp was covered with dew. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes appeared on the desert floor. They looked like frost on the ground. ¹⁵ The people of Israel saw the flakes. They asked each other, “What’s that?” They didn’t know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It’s the bread the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, ‘Everyone should gather as much as they need. Take three pounds for each person who lives in your tent.’ ”

¹⁷ The people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, and some gathered a little. ¹⁸ When they measured it out, the one who gathered a lot didn’t have too much. And the one who gathered a little had enough. Everyone gathered only what they needed.

¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, “Don’t keep any of it until morning.”

²⁰ Some of them didn’t pay any attention to Moses. They kept part of it until morning. But it was full of maggots and began to stink. So Moses became angry with them.

²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed. But by the hottest time of the day, the thin flakes had melted away. ²² On the sixth day, the people gathered twice as much. It amounted to six pounds for each person. The leaders of the community came and reported that to Moses. ²³ He said to them, “Here is what the Lord commanded. He said, ‘Tomorrow will be a day of rest. It will be a holy Sabbath day. It will be set apart for the Lord. So bake what you want to bake. Boil what you want to boil. Save what is left. Keep it until morning.’ ”

²⁴ So they saved it until morning, just as Moses commanded. It didn’t stink or get maggots in it. ²⁵ “Eat it today,” Moses said. “Today is a Sabbath day to honor the Lord. You won’t find any flakes on the ground today. ²⁶ Gather them for six days. But on the seventh day there won’t be any. It’s the Sabbath day.”

²⁷ In spite of what Moses said, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather the flakes. But they didn’t find any. ²⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “How long will all of you refuse to obey my commands and my teachings? ²⁹ Keep in mind that I have given you the Sabbath day. That is why on the sixth day I give you bread for two days. Everyone must stay where they are on the seventh day. No one can go out.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seeds. It tasted like wafers made with honey. ³² Moses said, “Here is what the Lord has commanded. He has said, ‘Get three pounds of manna. Keep it for all time to come. Then those who live after you will see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert. I gave it to you when I brought you out of Egypt.’ ”

³³ So Moses said to Aaron, “Get a jar. Put three pounds of manna in it. Then place it in front of the Lord. Keep it there for all time to come.”

³⁴ Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. He put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law. He put it there so it would be kept for all time to come. ³⁵ The Israelites ate manna for 40 years. They ate it until they came to a land where people were living. They ate it until they reached the border of Canaan.

³⁶ The jar had three pounds of manna in it.

Water Out of the Rock

17 The whole community of Israel started out from the Desert of Sin. They traveled from place to place, just as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim. But there wasn’t any water for the people to drink. ² So they argued with Moses. They said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses replied, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”

³ But the people were thirsty for water there. So they told Moses they weren’t happy with him. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? Did you want us, our children and our livestock to die of thirst?”

⁴ Then Moses cried out to the Lord. He said, “What am I going to do with these people? They are almost ready to kill me by throwing stones at me.”

⁵ The Lord answered Moses. “Go out in front of the people. Take some of the elders of Israel along with you. Take in your hand the walking stick you used when you struck the Nile River. Go. ⁶ I will stand there in front of you by the rock at Mount Horeb. Hit the rock. Then water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses hit the rock while the elders of Israel watched. ⁷ Moses called the place Massah and Meribah. That’s because the people of Israel argued with him there. They also tested the Lord. They asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Joshua Wins the Battle Over the Amalekites

⁸ The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. ⁹ Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men. Then go out and fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I’ll stand there holding the walking stick God gave me.”

¹⁰ So Joshua fought against the Amalekites, just as Moses had ordered. Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hand, the Israelites were winning. But every time he lowered his hands, the Amalekites began to win. ¹² When Moses’ arms got tired, Aaron and Hur got a stone and put it under him. Then he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands. Aaron was on one side, and Hur was on the other. Moses’ hands remained steady until sunset. ¹³ So Joshua destroyed the Amalekite army with swords.

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is something to be remembered. So write it on a scroll. Make sure Joshua knows you have done it. I will completely erase the memory of the Amalekites from the earth.”

¹⁵ Then Moses built an altar. He called it The Lord Is My Banner. ¹⁶ He said, “The Amalekites opposed the authority of the Lord. So the Lord will fight against the Amalekites for all time to come.”

Jethro Visits Moses

18 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was the priest of Midian. He heard about everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel. Jethro heard how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

² Moses had sent his wife Zipporah to his father-in-law. So Jethro welcomed her ³ and her two sons. One son was named Gershom. That’s because Moses had said, “I’m an outsider in a strange land.” ⁴ The other was named Eliezer. That’s because Moses had said, “My father’s God helped me. He saved me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

⁵ Moses’ father-in-law Jethro came to Moses in the desert. Moses’ sons and wife came with Jethro. Moses was camped near the mountain of God. ⁶ Jethro had sent a message to him. It said, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you. I’m bringing your wife and her two sons.”

⁷ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. Moses bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other. Then they went into the tent. ⁸ Moses told Jethro everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The Lord did all of this because of how much he loved Israel. Moses told Jethro about all their hard times along the way. He told him about how the Lord had saved them.

⁹ Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel. He heard about how God had saved them from the power of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ He said, “I praise the Lord. He saved you and your people from the power of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh. ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods. See what he did to those who looked down on Israel.” ¹² Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel. They ate a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the sight of God.

¹³ The next day Moses took his seat to serve the people as their judge. They stood around him from morning until evening. ¹⁴ His father-in-law saw everything Moses was doing for the people. So he said, “Aren’t you trying to do too much for the people? You are the only judge. And all these people are standing around you from morning until evening.”

¹⁵ Moses answered, “The people come to me to find out what God wants them to do. ¹⁶ Anytime they don’t agree with one another, they come to me. I decide between them. I tell them about God’s rules and instructions.”

¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing isn’t good. ¹⁸ You will just get worn out. And so will these people who come to you. There’s too much work for you. You can’t possibly handle it by yourself. ¹⁹ Listen to me. I’ll give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must speak to God for the people. Take their problems to him. ²⁰ Teach them his rules and instructions. Show them how to live and what to do. ²¹ But choose men of ability from all the people. They must have respect for God. You must be able to trust them. They must not try to get money by cheating others. Appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²² Let them serve the people as judges. But have them bring every hard case to you. They can decide the easy ones themselves. That will make your load lighter. They will share it with you. ²³ If this is what God wants and if you do it, then you will be able to carry the load. And all these people will go home satisfied.”

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law. He did everything Jethro said. ²⁵ He chose men of ability from the whole community of Israel. He made them leaders of the people. They became officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²⁶ They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses. But they decided the easy ones themselves.

²⁷ Moses sent his father-in-law on his way. So Jethro returned to his own country.

Israel Comes to Mount Sinai

19 Exactly three months after the people of Israel left Egypt, they came to the Desert of Sinai. ² After they started out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai. They camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

³ Then Moses went up to God. The Lord called out to him from the mountain. He said, “Here is what I want you to say to my people, who belong to Jacob’s family. Tell the Israelites, ⁴ ‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt. You saw how I carried you on the wings of eagles and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now obey me completely. Keep my covenant. If you do, then out of all the nations you will be my special treasure. The whole earth is mine. ⁶ But you will be a kingdom of priests to serve me. You will be my holy nation.’ That is what you must tell the Israelites.”

⁷ So Moses went back. He sent for the elders of the people. He explained to them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. ⁸ All the people answered together. They said, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

⁹ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “I am going to come to you in a thick cloud. The people will hear me speaking with you. They will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

¹⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people. Today and tomorrow set them apart for me. Have them wash their clothes. ¹¹ Have the people ready by the third day. On that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai. Everyone will see it. ¹² Put limits for the people around the mountain. Tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go near the mountain. Do not even touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain must be put to death. ¹³ Do not lay a hand on any of them. Kill them with stones or shoot them with arrows. Whether they are people or animals, do not let them live.’ They may go near the mountain only when the ram’s horn gives out a long blast.”

¹⁴ Moses went down the mountain to the people. After he set them apart for the Lord, they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then he spoke to the people. He said, “Get ready for the third day. Don’t have sex.”

¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain. A trumpet gave out a very loud blast. Everyone in the camp trembled with fear. ¹⁷ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God. They stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Smoke covered Mount Sinai, because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose up from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain trembled and shook. ¹⁹ The sound of the trumpet got louder and louder. Then Moses spoke. And the voice of God answered him.

²⁰ The Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai. He told Moses to come to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. ²¹ The Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people. They must not force their way through to see the Lord. If they do, many of them will die. ²² The priests approach the Lord when they serve him. But even they must set themselves apart for the Lord. If they do not, his anger will break out against them.”

²³ Moses said to the Lord, “The people can’t come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us. You said, ‘Put limits around the mountain. Set it apart as holy.’ ”

²⁴ The Lord replied, “Go down. Bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through. They must not come up to the Lord. If they do, his anger will break out against them.”

²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

God Gives His People the Ten Commandments

20 Here are all the words God spoke. He said,

² “I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves.

¹⁸ The people saw the thunder and lightning. They heard the trumpet. They saw the mountain covered with smoke. They trembled with fear and stayed a long way off. ¹⁹ They said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself. Then we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us. If he does, we’ll die.”

²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you. He wants you to have respect for him. That will keep you from sinning.”

²¹ Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. But the people remained a long way off.

Worship the Lord

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Here is what you must tell the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘You have seen for yourselves what I said to you from heaven. ²³ Do not put any other gods in place of me. Do not make silver or gold statues of them for yourselves.

²⁴ “ ‘Make an altar out of dirt for me. Sacrifice your burnt offerings and friendship offerings on it. Sacrifice your sheep, goats and cattle on it. I will come to you and bless you everywhere I cause my name to be honored. ²⁵ If you make an altar out of stones to honor me, do not build it with blocks of stone. You will make it “unclean” if you use a tool on it. ²⁶ Do not walk up steps to my altar. If you do, someone might see your naked body under your robes.’

Other Laws

21 “Here are the laws you must explain to the people of Israel.

Set Your Hebrew Servants Free

² “Suppose you buy a Hebrew servant. He must serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, you must set him free. He does not have to pay anything. ³ If he does not have a wife when he comes, he must go free alone. But if he has a wife when he comes, she must go with him. ⁴ Suppose his master gives him a wife. And suppose she has sons or daughters by him. Then only the man will go free. The woman and her children will belong to her master.

⁵ “But suppose the servant says, ‘I love my master and my wife and children. I don’t want to go free.’ ⁶ Then his master must take him to the judges. His master must take him to the door or doorpost of his master’s house. His master must poke a hole through his servant’s earlobe into the door or doorpost. Then he will become his servant for life.

⁷ “Suppose a man sells his daughter as a servant. Then she can’t go free as male servants do. ⁸ But what if the master who has chosen her does not like her? Then he must let the man buy her back. He has no right to sell her to strangers. He has broken his promise to her. ⁹ What if he chooses her to marry his son? Then he must grant her the rights of a daughter. ¹⁰ What if her master marries another woman? He must still give the first one her food and clothes and sleep with her. ¹¹ If he does not provide her with those three things, she can go free. She does not have to pay anything.

Laws About Harming Others

¹² “Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be put to death. ¹³ Suppose they did not do it on purpose. Suppose I let it happen. Then they can escape to a place I will choose. ¹⁴ But suppose they kill someone on purpose. Then take them away from my altar and put them to death.

¹⁵ “Anyone who attacks their father or mother must be put to death.

¹⁶ “Anyone who kidnaps and sells another person must be put to death. If they still have the person with them when they are caught, they must be put to death.

¹⁷ “Anyone who asks for something bad to happen to their father or mother must be put to death.

¹⁸ “Suppose two people get into a fight and argue with each other. One hits the other with a stone or his fist. And the person who was hit does not die but has to stay in bed. ¹⁹ And later that person gets up and walks around outside with a walking stick. Then the person who hit the other person will not be held responsible. But that person must pay the one who was hurt for the time spent in bed. The one who hit the other person must be sure that person is completely healed.

²⁰ “Suppose a person beats their male or female slave to death with a club. That person must be punished. ²¹ But they will not be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two. After all, the slave is their property.

²² “Suppose some people are fighting and one of them hits a pregnant woman. And suppose she has her baby early but is not badly hurt. Then the one who hurt her must pay a fine. That person must pay what the woman’s husband asks for and the court allows. ²³ But if someone is badly hurt, a life must be taken for a life. ²⁴ An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. A hand must be cut off for a hand and a foot for a foot. ²⁵ A burn must be given for a burn, a wound for a wound, and a bruise for a bruise.

²⁶ “Suppose an owner hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it. Then the owner must let the slave go free to pay for the eye. ²⁷ Suppose an owner knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave. Then he must let the slave go free to pay for the tooth.

²⁸ “Suppose a bull kills a man or woman with its horns. Then you must kill the bull by throwing stones at it. Its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held accountable. ²⁹ But suppose the bull has had the habit of attacking people. And suppose the owner has been warned but has not kept it fenced in. Then if it kills a man or woman, you must kill it with stones. The owner must also be put to death. ³⁰ But suppose payment is required of him instead. Then the owner can save his life by paying what is required. ³¹ The same law applies if the bull wounds a son or daughter with its horns. ³² Suppose the bull wounds a male or female slave. Then the owner must pay the slave’s master about 12 ounces of silver. You must kill the bull with stones.

³³ “Suppose someone uncovers a pit or digs one and does not cover it. And suppose an ox or donkey falls into it. ³⁴ Then the person who opened the pit must pay the animal’s owner for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the person who opened the pit.

³⁵ “Suppose someone’s bull wounds a neighbor’s bull and it dies. Then the owner and the neighbor must sell the live one. And they must share the money and the dead animal equally. ³⁶ But suppose people knew that the bull had the habit of attacking. And suppose the owner did not keep it fenced in. Then the owner must give another animal to pay for the dead animal. And the dead animal will belong to the owner.

Laws About Keeping Property Safe

22 “Suppose someone steals an ox or a sheep. And suppose that person kills it or sells it. Then the thief must pay back five oxen for the ox. Or the thief must pay back four sheep for the sheep.

² “Suppose you catch a thief breaking into your house at night. And suppose you hit the thief and the thief dies. Then you are not guilty of murder. ³ But suppose it happens after the sun has come up. Then you are guilty of murder.

“Anyone who steals must pay for whatever they steal. But suppose the thief does not have anything. Then the thief must be sold to pay for what was stolen. ⁴ What if the stolen ox, donkey or sheep is found alive with the thief? Then the thief must pay back twice as much.

⁵ “Suppose someone lets their livestock eat grass in someone else’s field or vineyard. Then they must pay that person back from the best crops of their own field or vineyard.

⁶ “Suppose a fire breaks out and spreads into bushes. Suppose it burns cut and stacked grain or grain that is still growing. Or suppose it burns the whole field. Then the one who started the fire must pay for the loss.

⁷ “Suppose someone gives a neighbor silver or other things to keep safe. And suppose they are stolen from the neighbor’s house. The thief, if caught, must pay back twice as much as was stolen. ⁸ But suppose the thief is not found. Then the neighbor must go to the judges. They will decide whether the neighbor has stolen the other person’s property. ⁹ Suppose you have an ox, donkey, sheep or clothing that does not belong to you. Or you have other property lost by someone else. And suppose someone says, ‘That belongs to me.’ Then both people must bring their case to the judges. The one the judges decide is guilty must pay back twice as much to the other person.

¹⁰ “Suppose someone asks their neighbor to take care of a donkey, ox, sheep or any other animal. And suppose the animal dies or gets hurt. Or suppose it is stolen while no one is looking. ¹¹ Then the problem will be settled by promising the Lord to tell the truth. Suppose the neighbor says, ‘I didn’t steal your property.’ Then the owner must accept what the neighbor says. No payment is required. ¹² But suppose the animal really was stolen. Then the neighbor must pay the owner back. ¹³ Or suppose it was torn to pieces by a wild animal. Then the neighbor must bring in what is left as proof. No payment is required.

¹⁴ “Suppose someone borrows an animal from their neighbor. And it gets hurt or dies while the owner is not there. Then the borrower must pay for it. ¹⁵ But suppose the owner is with the animal. Then the borrower will not have to pay. If the borrower hired the animal, the money paid to hire it covers the loss.

Laws About Social Problems

¹⁶ “Suppose a man meets a virgin who is not engaged. And he talks her into having sex with him. Then he must pay her father the price for a bride. And he must marry her. ¹⁷ But suppose her father absolutely refuses to give her to him. Then he must still pay the price for getting married to a virgin.

¹⁸ “Do not let a woman who does evil magic stay alive. Put her to death.

¹⁹ “Anyone who has sex with an animal must be put to death.

²⁰ “Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.

²¹ “Do not treat outsiders badly. Do not give them a hard time. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt.

²² “Do not take advantage of widows. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died. ²³ If you do, they might cry out to me. I will certainly hear them. ²⁴ And I will get angry. I will kill you with a sword. Your wives will become widows. Your children’s fathers will die.

²⁵ “Suppose you lend money to one of my people among you who is in need. Then do not treat it like a business deal. Do not charge any interest at all. ²⁶ Suppose your neighbor owes you money and gives you a coat as a promise to pay it back. Then return it by sunset.