Deuteronomy 24
New American Standard Bible
Law of Divorce
24 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens, if she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some (A)indecency in her, that (B)he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and [a]sends her away from his house, 2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 and the latter husband [b]turns against her, writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand, and [c]sends her away from his house, or if the latter husband who took her to be his wife dies, 4 then her (C)former husband who [d]sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, after [e]she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
5 “(D)When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army, nor be assigned any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall (E)make his wife whom he has taken happy.
Various Laws
6 “No one shall seize a handmill or an upper millstone as a pledge for a loan, since he would be seizing the debtor’s [f]means of life as a pledge.
7 “(F)If someone is [g]caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he treats him as merchandise and sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall eliminate the evil from among you.
8 “(G)Be careful about an infestation of leprosy, that you are very attentive and act in accordance with everything that the Levitical priests teach you; just as I have commanded them, you shall be careful to act. 9 Remember what the Lord your God did (H)to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.
10 “(I)When you make your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. 11 You shall stand outside, and the person to whom you are making the loan shall bring the pledge outside to you. 12 And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. 13 (J)When the sun goes down you shall certainly return the pledge to him, so that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and (K)it will be righteousness for you before the Lord your God.
14 “(L)You shall not exploit a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your strangers who are in your land in your [h]towns. 15 (M)You shall give him his wages on his day [i]before the sun sets—for he is poor and sets his [j]heart on it—so that (N)he does not cry out against you to the Lord, and it becomes a sin in you.
16 “(O)Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin alone.
17 “(P)You shall not pervert the justice [k]due a stranger or [l]an orphan, nor (Q)seize a widow’s garment as a [m]pledge. 18 But you are to remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
19 “(R)When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you are not to go back to get it; it shall belong (S)to the stranger, the [n]orphan, and to the widow, in order that the Lord your God (T)may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 (U)When you beat the olives off your olive tree, you are not to search through the branches [o]again; that shall be left (V)for the stranger, the [p]orphan, and for the widow.
21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you are not to [q]go over it again; that shall be left for the stranger, the [r]orphan, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 24:1 Or dismisses her
- Deuteronomy 24:3 Lit hates her
- Deuteronomy 24:3 Or dismisses her
- Deuteronomy 24:4 Or dismissed her
- Deuteronomy 24:4 I.e., in relationship to him
- Deuteronomy 24:6 Lit soul
- Deuteronomy 24:7 Lit found stealing
- Deuteronomy 24:14 Lit gates
- Deuteronomy 24:15 Lit that the sun shall not go down on it
- Deuteronomy 24:15 Lit soul
- Deuteronomy 24:17 Lit of
- Deuteronomy 24:17 Or the fatherless
- Deuteronomy 24:17 I.e., for a loan
- Deuteronomy 24:19 Or fatherless
- Deuteronomy 24:20 Lit after yourself
- Deuteronomy 24:20 Or fatherless
- Deuteronomy 24:21 Lit glean it after yourself
- Deuteronomy 24:21 Or fatherless
Deuteronomy 24
Revised Standard Version
Laws concerning Marriage and Divorce
24 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, 2 and if she goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 and the latter husband dislikes her and writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies, who took her to be his wife, 4 then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring guilt upon the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.
Miscellaneous Laws
5 “When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.
6 “No man shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge; for he would be taking a life in pledge.
7 “If a man is found stealing one of his brethren, the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from the midst of you.
8 “Take heed, in an attack of leprosy, to be very careful to do according to all that the Levitical priests shall direct you; as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. 9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way as you came forth out of Egypt.
10 “When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to fetch his pledge. 11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. 12 And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge; 13 when the sun goes down, you shall restore to him the pledge that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the Lord your God.
14 “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brethren or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns; 15 you shall give him his hire on the day he earns it, before the sun goes down (for he is poor, and sets his heart upon it); lest he cry against you to the Lord, and it be sin in you.
16 “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor shall the children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
17 “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge; 18 but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.
19 “When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow; that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.