公義與憐憫

23 「不可散佈謠言,也不可與惡人一起作偽證陷害別人。 不可隨眾行惡。在法庭作證時不可附和多數人,顛倒是非。 在訴訟的事上不可偏袒窮人。

「倘若看見仇人的牛或驢走迷了路,總要牽回去交給他。 倘若遇見仇人的驢被馱的重物壓倒,不可逕自走開,總要幫助仇人抬開重物。

「不可在訴訟案中冤枉窮人。 不可誣告別人,不可殺害正直無辜的人,因為我必懲罰作惡之人。 不可收受賄賂,因為賄賂蒙蔽人的眼目,使人顛倒是非。 不可欺凌在你們中間寄居的人,因為你們也曾經在埃及寄居,知道身在異鄉的滋味。

安息年和安息日

10 「六年之內你要耕種收割, 11 第七年要讓土地休息,不耕不種,你們當中的窮人可以吃田中長出來的,剩下的可以留給動物吃。你也要這樣耕作葡萄園和橄欖園。 12 六天之內,你要工作,但第七天要休息。這樣,牛、驢可以歇息,你家裡的奴僕和寄居的也可以休息。 13 你們要謹慎遵從我對你們說的話。不可提其他神明的名字,不可從你口中聽到它們的名字。

三大節期

14 「你每年要向我守三個節期。 15 要守除酵節,照我的吩咐在每年亞筆月所定的日期連續吃七天的無酵餅,因為你是在這個月離開了埃及。誰也不可空手來朝拜我。 16 要在耕種後、收取初熟之物的時候守收割節。要在年終從田間收取勞動成果時守收藏節。 17 以色列所有的男子都要在這三個節期上來朝見主耶和華。

18 「不可把祭牲的血和有酵的餅一起獻給我,也不可把祭牲的脂肪留到第二天早晨。 19 要把田中最好的初熟之物送到你們的上帝耶和華的殿中。不可用母山羊的奶煮牠的小羊羔。

應許賜迦南

20 「看啊,我要差遣天使走在你前面,在路上保護你,帶領你平安地到達我為你預備的地方。 21 他是奉我的名來的,你們要謹遵他的話,不可悖逆,不然他必不赦免你們的過犯。

22 「你若認真聽從他的吩咐,遵行我的話,我就與你的仇敵為敵,與你的對頭作對。 23 我的天使要走在你前面,帶領你去亞摩利人、赫人、比利洗人、迦南人、希未人和耶布斯人所住的地方,我會把他們全部消滅。 24 不可叩拜他們的神明,不可供奉它們,也不可效法他們的行為,要徹底拆毀神像,打碎他們的神柱。 25 你們要事奉你們的上帝耶和華,我必賜給你日用的飲食,使你們身體健康,不受疾病的侵害, 26 在你境內必沒有人流產或不育,我會使你壽終正寢。 27 你所到之處,我必使那裡的人惶恐不安,使你一切的仇敵都在你面前轉身逃跑。 28 我要派黃蜂做你的先鋒,趕走那些希未人、迦南人和赫人。 29 我不會在一年之內把這些人全部趕走,免得土地荒涼,野獸肆虐。 30 我會逐漸地趕走他們,直到你們人丁興旺,可以佔據那片土地。 31 我給你定下國界,從紅海到非利士海岸,從曠野到幼發拉底河。我要把其中所有的人都交在你手中,你要把他們全部趕出去。 32 不可跟這些民族及其神明立約, 33 也不可讓這些民族住在你的土地上,免得他們使你得罪我,你若供奉他們的神明,必因此而陷入網羅。」

正义和公正

23 “不可散布谣言;不可与恶人连手作恶意的见证。 不可附和群众作恶;不可在诉讼中附和群众歪曲公正,作歪曲的见证; 也不可在诉讼中偏袒贫寒人。

“若遇见你仇敌的牛或驴迷了路,务必牵回来交给他。 若看见恨你的人的驴被压在重驮之下,不可走开,务要和他一同卸下驴的重驮。

“不可在贫穷人的诉讼中屈枉正直。 当远离诬告的事。不可杀害无辜和义人,因我必不以恶人为义。 不可接受贿赂,因为贿赂能使明眼人变瞎,又能曲解义人的证词。

“不可欺压寄居的,因为你们在埃及地作过寄居的,知道寄居者的心情。”

安息年和安息日

10 “六年你要耕种田地,收集地的出产。 11 只是第七年你要让地歇息,不耕不种,使你百姓中的贫穷人有吃的;他们吃剩的,野兽可以吃。你的葡萄园和橄榄园也要照样办理。

12 “六日你要做工,第七日要安息,使牛、驴可以歇息,也让你使女的儿子和寄居的可以恢复精力。

13 “凡我对你们说的话,你们都要谨守。别神的名,你不可提,也不可用口说给人听。”

三大节期(A)

14 “一年三次,你要向我守节。 15 你要守除酵节,照我所吩咐你的,在亚笔月内所定的日期吃无酵饼七天,因为你是在这月离开了埃及。谁也不可空手来朝见我。 16 你要守收割节,收田间所种、劳碌所得初熟之物。你年底收藏田间劳碌所得时,要守收藏节。 17 所有的男丁都要一年三次朝见主耶和华。

18 “不可将我祭牲的血和有酵之物一同献上,也不可将我节期中祭牲的脂肪留到早晨。

19 “要把地里最好的初熟之物带到耶和华—你 神的殿中。

“不可用母山羊的奶来煮它的小山羊。”

应许和警戒

20 “看哪,我要差遣使者在你前面,在路上保护你,领你到我所预备的地方。 21 你们要在他面前谨慎,听从他的话。不可抗拒[a]他,否则他必不赦免你们的过犯,因为我的名在他身上。

22 “你若真的听从他的话,照我一切所说的去做,我就以你的仇敌为仇敌,以你的敌人为敌人。

23 “我的使者要走在你前面,领你到亚摩利人、人、比利洗人、迦南人、希未人、耶布斯人那里,我必将他们除灭。 24 你不可跪拜事奉他们的神明,也不可随从他们的习俗,却要彻底废除,完全打碎他们的柱像。 25 你们要事奉耶和华—你们的 神,他必赐福给你的粮食和水,也必从你中间除去疾病。 26 你境内必没有流产的、不生育的。我要使你享满你年日的数目。 27 凡你所到的地方,我要使那里的众百姓在你面前惊慌失措,又要使你所有的仇敌转身逃跑。 28 我要派瘟疫[b]在你的前面,把希未人、迦南人、人从你面前赶出去。 29 我不在一年之内把他们从你面前赶出去,恐怕地会荒废,野地的走兽增多危害你。 30 我要逐渐把他们从你面前赶出去,直到你的人数增多,承受那地为业。 31 我要定你的疆界,从红海直到非利士海,从旷野直到大河。我要把那地的居民交在你手中,你要把他们从你面前赶出去。 32 不可跟他们和他们的神明立约。 33 他们不可住在你的地上,免得他们使你得罪我。你若事奉他们的神明,必成为你的圈套。”

Footnotes

  1. 23.21 “抗拒”:原文是“使他受苦”。
  2. 23.28 “瘟疫”或译“黄蜂”。

公义与怜悯

23 “不可散布谣言,也不可与恶人一起作伪证陷害别人。 不可随众行恶。在法庭作证时不可附和多数人,颠倒是非。 在诉讼的事上不可偏袒穷人。

“倘若看见仇人的牛或驴走迷了路,总要牵回去交给他。 倘若遇见仇人的驴被驮的重物压倒,不可径自走开,总要帮助仇人抬开重物。

“不可在诉讼案中冤枉穷人。 不可诬告别人,不可杀害正直无辜的人,因为我必惩罚作恶之人。 不可收受贿赂,因为贿赂蒙蔽人的眼目,使人颠倒是非。 不可欺凌在你们中间寄居的人,因为你们也曾经在埃及寄居,知道身在异乡的滋味。

安息年和安息日

10 “六年之内你要耕种收割, 11 第七年要让土地休息,不耕不种,你们当中的穷人可以吃田中长出来的,剩下的可以留给动物吃。你也要这样耕作葡萄园和橄榄园。 12 六天之内,你要工作,但第七天要休息。这样,牛、驴可以歇息,你家里的奴仆和寄居的也可以休息。 13 你们要谨慎遵从我对你们说的话。不可提其他神明的名字,不可从你口中听到它们的名字。

三大节期

14 “你每年要向我守三个节期。 15 要守除酵节,照我的吩咐在每年亚笔月所定的日期连续吃七天的无酵饼,因为你是在这个月离开了埃及。谁也不可空手来朝拜我。 16 要在耕种后、收取初熟之物的时候守收割节。要在年终从田间收取劳动成果时守收藏节。 17 以色列所有的男子都要在这三个节期上来朝见主耶和华。

18 “不可把祭牲的血和有酵的饼一起献给我,也不可把祭牲的脂肪留到第二天早晨。 19 要把田中最好的初熟之物送到你们的上帝耶和华的殿中。不可用母山羊的奶煮它的小羊羔。

应许赐迦南

20 “看啊,我要差遣天使走在你前面,在路上保护你,带领你平安地到达我为你预备的地方。 21 他是奉我的名来的,你们要谨遵他的话,不可悖逆,不然他必不赦免你们的过犯。

22 “你若认真听从他的吩咐,遵行我的话,我就与你的仇敌为敌,与你的对头作对。 23 我的天使要走在你前面,带领你去亚摩利人、赫人、比利洗人、迦南人、希未人和耶布斯人所住的地方,我会把他们全部消灭。 24 不可叩拜他们的神明,不可供奉它们,也不可效法他们的行为,要彻底拆毁神像,打碎他们的神柱。 25 你们要事奉你们的上帝耶和华,我必赐给你日用的饮食,使你们身体健康,不受疾病的侵害, 26 在你境内必没有人流产或不育,我会使你寿终正寝。 27 你所到之处,我必使那里的人惶恐不安,使你一切的仇敌都在你面前转身逃跑。 28 我要派黄蜂做你的先锋,赶走那些希未人、迦南人和赫人。 29 我不会在一年之内把这些人全部赶走,免得土地荒凉,野兽肆虐。 30 我会逐渐地赶走他们,直到你们人丁兴旺,可以占据那片土地。 31 我给你定下国界,从红海到非利士海岸,从旷野到幼发拉底河。我要把其中所有的人都交在你手中,你要把他们全部赶出去。 32 不可跟这些民族及其神明立约, 33 也不可让这些民族住在你的土地上,免得他们使你得罪我,你若供奉他们的神明,必因此而陷入网罗。”

Rules for justice

23 Do not make false reports. Do not tell lies in court to help wicked people.

Do not join a group of bad people to do evil things. When you speak in court, tell the truth so that the judges will decide what is right. Do not tell lies to agree with what everyone else says. Do not speak on behalf of a poor man only because you like him.

Perhaps you may find your enemy's cow or his donkey when he has lost it. If so, you must give it back to him. Perhaps you may see your enemy's donkey when it is carrying a heavy load. If the donkey has fallen down, do not refuse to give help. Do not leave the donkey there.

Always do what is right for your poor people when they stand in front of a judge. Do not help anyone to use lies to accuse another person. Never punish anyone with death if they are not guilty. I will never say that a wicked person is not guilty.

Do not accept a bribe. A bribe will hide the truth even from honest people. It can make good people tell lies.

Do not be cruel to a foreign person who lives among you. You yourselves know what that feels like. Remember that you lived in Egypt as foreigners.

Rules about the Sabbath day and Feasts

10 You must plant seed in your fields for six years. Then you can bring your crops home at harvest time. 11 But in the seventh year, you must let your fields lie empty. Do not dig them and do not plant anything in them. Then poor people among you can eat the food that they find in your fields. After that, the wild animals can eat any food that still remains. Do the same thing with your vineyards and your fields of olive trees.

12 Do your work for six days each week, but do not work on the seventh day. Then your oxen and your donkeys will have time to rest. Any slave who was born in your home and any foreigner who works for you may also have time to rest. That will help them to be strong.

13 Be careful to obey everything that I have told you. Do not pray to other gods for help. Do not even speak about them.

14 Three times each year, you must eat a feast to give me honour.

15 Eat the Feast of Flat Bread every year. For seven days, you must eat bread that you have made without any yeast. I have commanded you to do this. Do it at the right time during the month Abib. It was in that month that you came out of Egypt. Nobody must come to me without an offering.

16 Eat the Feast of Harvest every year. Offer to me the first crops that you bring from your fields.[a]

At the end of each year, eat Feast of Final Harvest. Do that when you have finished bringing in all of your crops from the fields.

17 Three times each year, all your men must come to worship the Almighty Lord.

18 When you kill an animal to offer it to me as a sacrifice, do not offer it with bread that has yeast in it. Be sure to burn all the fat of the animal on the same day. Do not keep any of it until the next morning.

19 When you cut the first crops from your fields, bring the best food to the house of the Lord your God.

Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.

God's special angel

20 Look! I will send an angel to lead you on your journey. He will keep you safe. He will take you to the place that I have prepared for you. 21 Be careful to obey him. Listen to what he says to you. Do not turn against him. If you do that, he will not forgive you. I have given him my authority. 22 So be careful to obey him. Do everything that I tell you. Then I will be the enemy of your enemies. I will fight against anyone who fights against you. 23 My angel will go in front of you. He will bring you into the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. I will destroy them completely. 24 Do not worship their gods. Do not serve them. Do not copy the evil things that these people do. Destroy their idols and break their special stones into pieces.

25 You must serve only me, the Lord your God. Then I will bless your food and your water. I will remove illness from among you. 26 Your women will safely give birth to babies. They will all be able to have children. Everyone will live a long life.

27 I will cause all the nations that you meet to be afraid. All the people who attack you will become confused. I will cause all your enemies to turn round and run away from you. 28 I will send great fear on the people as you move into the land.[b] That will chase out the Hivites, the Canaanites and the Hittites. 29 But I will not chase out those people in one year. If I did that, the country would become empty of people. Then there would be many wild animals that would cause trouble to you. 30 I will remove the people slowly, one group at a time. As you become strong, you will take the land as your own home.

31 I will decide where the borders of your land will be. You will have the land from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will put the people who live there under your power. As you move into the land, you will chase those people out.

32 Do not make any agreement with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land. They would cause you to do bad things against me. If you serve their gods, you will become like their prisoners.’

Footnotes

  1. 23:16 The Israelites ate the Harvest Feast when they picked the first food from their fields.
  2. 23:28 ‘fear’ or ‘insects that bite’