25 “If there is a (A)dispute between men and they come into court and the judges decide between them, (B)acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty, then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a number of stripes in proportion to his offense. (C)Forty stripes may be given him, but not more, lest, if one should go on to beat him with more stripes than these, your brother be degraded in your sight.

(D)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.

Laws Concerning Levirate Marriage

(E)“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her (F)husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that (G)his name may not be blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall (H)go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.’ Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, (I)‘I do not wish to take her,’ then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and (J)pull his sandal off his foot and (K)spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not (L)build up his brother's house.’ 10 And the name of his house[a] shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’

Miscellaneous Laws

11 “When men fight with one another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, 12 then you shall cut off her hand. (M)Your eye shall have no pity.

13 “You (N)shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. 14 You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. 15 A full and fair[b] weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, (O)that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For (P)all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, (Q)are an abomination to the Lord your God.

17 (R)“Remember what Amalek did to you (S)on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and (T)cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore (U)when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall (V)blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.

Offerings of Firstfruits and Tithes

26 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, (W)you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall (X)go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land (Y)that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

“And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A (Z)wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, (AA)few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And (AB)the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. Then (AC)we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. And (AD)the Lord brought us out of Egypt (AE)with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror,[c] with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, (AF)a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11 And (AG)you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.

12 “When you have finished paying all (AH)the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is (AI)the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, (AJ)nor have I forgotten them. 14 (AK)I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it (AL)to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me. 15 (AM)Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’

16 “This day the Lord your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 (AN)You have declared today that the Lord is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. 18 And the Lord has declared today that you are (AO)a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, 19 and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor (AP)high above all nations (AQ)that he has made, and that you shall be (AR)a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.”

The Altar on Mount Ebal

27 Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. And on the day (AS)you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. (AT)And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, (AU)a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you. And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, (AV)on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. (AW)You shall wield no iron tool on them; you shall build an altar to the Lord your God of uncut[d] stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and (AX)shall eat there, and you (AY)shall rejoice before the Lord your God. And (AZ)you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”

Curses from Mount Ebal

Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: (BA)this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”

11 That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12 “When you have crossed over the Jordan, (BB)these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And (BC)the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:

15 (BD)“‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ (BE)And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

16 (BF)“‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

17 (BG)“‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor's landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

18 (BH)“‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

19 (BI)“‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

20 (BJ)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father's wife, because he has (BK)uncovered his father's nakedness.’[e] And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

21 (BL)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with any kind of animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

22 (BM)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

23 (BN)“‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

24 (BO)“‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

25 (BP)“‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

26 (BQ)“‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 25:10 Hebrew its name
  2. Deuteronomy 25:15 Or just, or righteous; twice in this verse
  3. Deuteronomy 26:8 Hebrew with great terror
  4. Deuteronomy 27:6 Hebrew whole
  5. Deuteronomy 27:20 Hebrew uncovered his father's skirt

25 When people have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges(A) will decide the case,(B) acquitting(C) the innocent and condemning the guilty.(D) If the guilty person deserves to be beaten,(E) the judge shall make them lie down and have them flogged in his presence with the number of lashes the crime deserves, but the judge must not impose more than forty lashes.(F) If the guilty party is flogged more than that, your fellow Israelite will be degraded in your eyes.(G)

Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.(H)

If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.(I) The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.(J)

However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife,(K) she shall go to the elders at the town gate(L) and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.”(M) Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals,(N) spit in his face(O) and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” 10 That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

11 If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, 12 you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity.(P)

13 Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light.(Q) 14 Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. 15 You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long(R) in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.(S)

17 Remember what the Amalekites(T) did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. 18 When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.(U) 19 When the Lord your God gives you rest(V) from all the enemies(W) around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek(X) from under heaven. Do not forget!

Firstfruits and Tithes

26 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits(Y) of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name(Z) and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering(AA) Aramean,(AB) and he went down into Egypt with a few people(AC) and lived there and became a great nation,(AD) powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer,(AE) subjecting us to harsh labor.(AF) Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice(AG) and saw(AH) our misery,(AI) toil and oppression.(AJ) So the Lord brought us out of Egypt(AK) with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,(AL) with great terror and with signs and wonders.(AM) He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;(AN) 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.(AO)” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites(AP) and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice(AQ) in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth(AR) of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe,(AS) you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13 Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.(AT) 14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean,(AU) nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. 15 Look down from heaven,(AV) your holy dwelling place, and bless(AW) your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Follow the Lord’s Commands

16 The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.(AX) 17 You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him.(AY) 18 And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession(AZ) as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise,(BA) fame and honor high above all the nations(BB) he has made and that you will be a people holy(BC) to the Lord your God, as he promised.

The Altar on Mount Ebal

27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands(BD) that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan(BE) into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones(BF) and coat them with plaster.(BG) Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,(BH) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal,(BI) as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. Build there an altar(BJ) to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool(BK) on them. Build the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. Sacrifice fellowship offerings(BL) there, eating them and rejoicing(BM) in the presence of the Lord your God.(BN) And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones(BO) you have set up.”(BP)

Curses From Mount Ebal

Then Moses and the Levitical(BQ) priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God.(BR) 10 Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”

11 On the same day Moses commanded the people:

12 When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim(BS) to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,(BT) Joseph and Benjamin.(BU) 13 And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal(BV) to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

14 The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

15 “Cursed is anyone who makes an idol(BW)—a thing detestable(BX) to the Lord, the work of skilled hands—and sets it up in secret.”

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”(BY)

16 “Cursed is anyone who dishonors their father or mother.”(BZ)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

17 “Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor’s boundary stone.”(CA)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

18 “Cursed is anyone who leads the blind astray on the road.”(CB)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner,(CC) the fatherless or the widow.”(CD)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

20 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s bed.”(CE)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

21 “Cursed is anyone who has sexual relations with any animal.”(CF)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

22 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.”(CG)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

23 “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his mother-in-law.”(CH)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

24 “Cursed is anyone who kills(CI) their neighbor secretly.”(CJ)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

25 “Cursed is anyone who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.”(CK)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

26 “Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”(CL)

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”(CM)

Christ Has Set Us Free

For (A)freedom Christ has (B)set us free; (C)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to (D)a yoke of (E)slavery.

Look: I, Paul, say to you that (F)if you accept circumcision, (G)Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that (H)he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are (I)severed from Christ, (J)you who would be justified[a] by the law; (K)you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly (L)wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus (M)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but (N)only faith working through love.

(O)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying (P)the truth? This persuasion is not from (Q)him who calls you. (R)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 (S)I have confidence in the Lord that you will (T)take no other view, and (U)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,[b] still preach[c] circumcision, (V)why am I still being persecuted? In that case (W)the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish (X)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. (Y)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love (Z)serve one another. 14 For (AA)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: (AB)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you (AC)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, (AD)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify (AE)the desires of the flesh. 17 For (AF)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, (AG)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are (AH)led by the Spirit, (AI)you are not under the law. 19 Now (AJ)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, (AK)divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that (AL)those who do[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But (AM)the fruit of the Spirit is (AN)love, joy, peace, patience, (AO)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 (AP)gentleness, (AQ)self-control; (AR)against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (AS)have crucified the flesh with its (AT)passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, (AU)let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 (AV)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:4 Or counted righteous
  2. Galatians 5:11 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 13
  3. Galatians 5:11 Greek proclaim
  4. Galatians 5:21 Some manuscripts add murder
  5. Galatians 5:21 Or make a practice of doing

Freedom in Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.(A) Stand firm,(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.(C)

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,(D) Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.(E) You who are trying to be justified by the law(F) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.(G) For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.(H) For in Christ Jesus(I) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.(J) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.(K)

You were running a good race.(L) Who cut in on you(M) to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.(N) “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”(O) 10 I am confident(P) in the Lord that you will take no other view.(Q) The one who is throwing you into confusion,(R) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?(S) In that case the offense(T) of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators,(U) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.(V) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a];(W) rather, serve one another(X) humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b](Y) 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit,(Z) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.(AA) 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.(AB) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want.(AC) 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,(AD) you are not under the law.(AE)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,(AF) impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.(AG) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.(AH)

22 But the fruit(AI) of the Spirit is love,(AJ) joy, peace,(AK) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.(AL) Against such things there is no law.(AM) 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh(AN) with its passions and desires.(AO) 25 Since we live by the Spirit,(AP) let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited,(AQ) provoking and envying each other.

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.
  2. Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18
  3. Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what