會眾的資格

23 「凡睪丸受損或被閹割的,不可加入耶和華的會眾。

「私生子及其十代以內的子孫都不可加入耶和華的會眾。

「亞捫人或摩押人及其十代以內的子孫都不可加入耶和華的會眾。 因為在你們離開埃及的途中,他們沒有用水和食物款待你們,還雇用美索不達米亞的毗奪人——比珥的兒子巴蘭咒詛你們。 但你們的上帝耶和華不聽巴蘭的話,反而把咒詛變為祝福,因為祂愛你們。 你們一生一世永不可為他們謀求平安和好處。

「不可憎惡以東人,因為他們是你們的弟兄;也不可憎惡埃及人,因為你們曾經在埃及寄居。 他們的第三代子孫可以加入耶和華的會眾。

保持軍營聖潔的條例

「你們出兵征戰時,一定要遠離惡事。 10 如果有人因夢遺而不潔淨,他就要離開營地住在營外。 11 傍晚他要沐浴,日落才可以回營。 12 要在營外指定一個地方作方便之處。 13 你們每人都要有一把鏟子,便溺時要挖個洞,事後要掩埋。 14 因為你們的上帝耶和華常在營中巡視,要保護你們,擊敗你們的仇敵。軍營必須保持聖潔,免得祂在你們中間看到任何污穢之事,便離開你們。

其他條例

15 「如果有奴隸逃到你們那裡避難,不可把逃亡的奴隸送交他們的主人。 16 要讓他們在你們當中選擇他們喜歡的城邑與你們同住,不可壓迫他們。

17 「任何以色列人,不論男女,都不可做廟妓。 18 不可把男女廟妓的收入帶到你們上帝耶和華的殿還願,因為你們的上帝耶和華憎惡他們。

19 「你們借給同胞錢、糧食或其他任何東西,都不可收取利息。 20 你們可以向外族人收取利息,但不可向同胞收取。這樣,在你們將要佔領的土地上,你們的上帝耶和華必使你們凡事蒙福。

21 「如果你們向你們的上帝耶和華許願,不可遲遲不還願,因為你們的上帝耶和華必追討許願不還的罪。 22 如果你們不許願,反倒無罪; 23 但如果你們親口許了願,一定要向你們的上帝耶和華信守諾言。

24 「如果你們進了鄰居的葡萄園,可以隨意吃,但不可把葡萄放在籃子裡帶走。 25 如果你們進了鄰居的麥田,可以用手摘麥穗,但不可用鐮刀割麥子。

Those Excluded from the Congregation

23 “He who is emasculated by crushing or mutilation shall (A)not enter the assembly of the Lord.

“One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord.

(B)“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever, (C)because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and (D)because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of [a]Mesopotamia, to curse you. Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God (E)loves you. (F)You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.

“You shall not abhor an Edomite, (G)for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because (H)you were an alien in his land. The children of the third generation born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.

Cleanliness of the Campsite

“When the army goes out against your enemies, then keep yourself from every wicked thing. 10 (I)If there is any man among you who becomes unclean by some occurrence in the night, then he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come inside the camp. 11 But it shall be, when evening comes, that (J)he shall wash with water; and when the sun sets, he may come into the camp.

12 “Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; 13 and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. 14 For the Lord your God (K)walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.

Miscellaneous Laws

15 (L)“You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it [b]seems best to him; (M)you shall not oppress him.

17 “There shall be no ritual [c]harlot (N)of the daughters of Israel, or a (O)perverted[d] one of the sons of Israel. 18 You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the Lord your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are [e]an abomination to the Lord your God.

19 (P)“You shall not charge interest to your brother—interest on money or food or anything that is lent out at interest. 20 (Q)To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, (R)that the Lord your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess.

21 (S)“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. 22 But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. 23 (T)That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.

24 “When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure, but you shall not put any in your container. 25 When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, (U)you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 23:4 Heb. Aram Naharaim
  2. Deuteronomy 23:16 pleases him best
  3. Deuteronomy 23:17 Heb. qedeshah, fem. of qadesh (next note)
  4. Deuteronomy 23:17 Heb. qadesh, one practicing sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals
  5. Deuteronomy 23:18 detestable

Exclusion and Inclusion

23 “No man whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off may enter the Lord’s assembly. No one of illegitimate birth may enter the Lord’s assembly; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter the Lord’s assembly. No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the Lord’s assembly;(A) none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, may ever enter the Lord’s assembly. This is because they did not meet you with food and water on the journey after you came out of Egypt, and because Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim was hired to curse you.(B) Yet the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but he turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves(C) you.(D) Never pursue their welfare or prosperity as long as you live. Do not despise an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you were a resident alien in his land. The children born to them in the third generation may enter the Lord’s assembly.

Cleanliness of the Camp

“When you are encamped against your enemies, be careful to avoid anything offensive. 10 If there is a man among you who is unclean because of a bodily emission during the night, he must go outside the camp; he may not come anywhere inside the camp. 11 When evening approaches, he is to wash with water, and when the sun sets he may come inside the camp.(E) 12 You are to have a place outside the camp and go there to relieve yourself. 13 You are to have a digging tool in your equipment; when you relieve yourself, dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you; so your encampments must be holy. He must not see anything indecent among you or he will turn away from you.

Fugitive Slaves

15 “Do not return a slave to his master when he has escaped from his master to you. 16 Let him live among you wherever he wants within your city gates. Do not mistreat him.

Cult Prostitution Forbidden

17 “No Israelite woman is to be a cult prostitute, and no Israelite man is to be a cult prostitute. 18 Do not bring a female prostitute’s wages or a male prostitute’s[a] earnings into the house of the Lord your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the Lord your God.

Interest on Loans

19 “Do not charge your brother interest on silver, food, or anything that can earn interest. 20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but you must not charge your brother Israelite interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do[b] in the land you are entering to possess.(F)

Keeping Vows

21 “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to keep it, because he will require it of you, and it will be counted against you as sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, it will not be counted against you as sin. 23 Be careful to do whatever comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed what you promised to the Lord your God.(G)

Neighbor’s Crops

24 “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you want until you are full, but do not put any in your container. 25 When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck heads of grain with your hand, but do not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain.

Footnotes

  1. 23:18 Lit a dog’s
  2. 23:20 Lit you put your hand to