Deuteronomy 23:1-14

New International Version

Exclusion From the Assembly

23 ^[a]No one who has been emasculated^(A) by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.

² No one born of a forbidden marriage^[b] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.

³ No Ammonite^(B) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.^{(C) 4} For they did not come to meet you with bread and water^(D) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam^(E) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim^[c](F) to pronounce a curse on you.^{(G) 5} However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse^(H) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves^(I) you. ⁶ Do not seek a treaty^(J) of friendship with them as long as you live.^(K)

⁷ Do not despise an Edomite,^(L) for the Edomites are related to you.^(M) Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.^{(N) 8} The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.

Uncleanness in the Camp

⁹ When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure.^{(O) 10} If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there.^{(P) 11} But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset^(Q) he may return to the camp.^(R)

¹² Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. ¹³ As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. ¹⁴ For the Lord your God moves^(S) about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy,^(T) so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.