会众的资格

23 “凡睪丸受损或被阉割的,不可加入耶和华的会众。

“私生子及其十代以内的子孙都不可加入耶和华的会众。

“亚扪人或摩押人及其十代以内的子孙都不可加入耶和华的会众。 因为在你们离开埃及的途中,他们没有用水和食物款待你们,还雇用美索不达米亚的毗夺人——比珥的儿子巴兰咒诅你们。 但你们的上帝耶和华不听巴兰的话,反而把咒诅变为祝福,因为祂爱你们。 你们一生一世永不可为他们谋求平安和好处。

“不可憎恶以东人,因为他们是你们的弟兄;也不可憎恶埃及人,因为你们曾经在埃及寄居。 他们的第三代子孙可以加入耶和华的会众。

保持军营圣洁的条例

“你们出兵征战时,一定要远离恶事。 10 如果有人因梦遗而不洁净,他就要离开营地住在营外。 11 傍晚他要沐浴,日落才可以回营。 12 要在营外指定一个地方作方便之处。 13 你们每人都要有一把铲子,便溺时要挖个洞,事后要掩埋。 14 因为你们的上帝耶和华常在营中巡视,要保护你们,击败你们的仇敌。军营必须保持圣洁,免得祂在你们中间看到任何污秽之事,便离开你们。

其他条例

15 “如果有奴隶逃到你们那里避难,不可把逃亡的奴隶送交他们的主人。 16 要让他们在你们当中选择他们喜欢的城邑与你们同住,不可压迫他们。

17 “任何以色列人,不论男女,都不可做庙妓。 18 不可把男女庙妓的收入带到你们上帝耶和华的殿还愿,因为你们的上帝耶和华憎恶他们。

19 “你们借给同胞钱、粮食或其他任何东西,都不可收取利息。 20 你们可以向外族人收取利息,但不可向同胞收取。这样,在你们将要占领的土地上,你们的上帝耶和华必使你们凡事蒙福。

21 “如果你们向你们的上帝耶和华许愿,不可迟迟不还愿,因为你们的上帝耶和华必追讨许愿不还的罪。 22 如果你们不许愿,反倒无罪; 23 但如果你们亲口许了愿,一定要向你们的上帝耶和华信守诺言。

24 “如果你们进了邻居的葡萄园,可以随意吃,但不可把葡萄放在篮子里带走。 25 如果你们进了邻居的麦田,可以用手摘麦穗,但不可用镰刀割麦子。

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

23 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.

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.

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:

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.

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.

Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

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.

The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation.

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.