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Laws concerning Marriage and Divorce

24 “Suppose a man enters into marriage with a woman but she does not please him because he finds something objectionable about her, so he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; she then leaves his house and goes off to become another man’s wife.(A) Then suppose the second man dislikes her, writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house (or the second man who married her dies): her first husband, who sent her away, is not permitted to take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled, for that would be abhorrent to the Lord, and you shall not bring guilt on the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession.(B)

Miscellaneous Laws

“When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with any related duty. He shall be free at home one year, to be happy with the wife whom he has married.(C)

“No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge.

“If someone is caught kidnaping another Israelite, enslaving or selling the Israelite, then that kidnaper shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.(D)

“Guard against an outbreak of a defiling skin disease by being very careful; you shall carefully observe whatever the Levitical priests instruct you, just as I have commanded them.(E) Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your journey out of Egypt.(F)

10 “When you make your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge. 11 You shall wait outside while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you. 12 If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as[a] the pledge. 13 You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you, and it will be to your credit before the Lord your God.(G)

14 “You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns.(H) 15 You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.(I)

16 “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death.(J)

17 “You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge.(K) 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.(L)

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings.(M) 20 When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.(N)

21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.(O)

Footnotes

  1. 24.12 Heb lacks the garment given you as

24 “When[a] a man takes a wife and he marries her and then[b] she does not please him,[c] because he found something objectionable[d] and writes her a letter of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her away from his house, and she goes from his house, and she goes out and becomes a wife for another man,[e] and then the second man dislikes her and he writes her a letter of divorce and places it into her hand and sends her from his house, or if the second man dies who took her to himself[f] as a wife, her first husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again[g] to become a wife to him after she has been defiled,[h] for that is a detestable thing before[i] Yahweh, and so you shall not mislead into sin the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance.

“When[j] a man takes a new wife he shall not go out with the army, and he shall not be obligated with anything;[k] he shall be free from obligation, to stay at home[l] for one year, and he shall bring joy to his wife that he took.

“A person[m] shall not take[n] a pair of millstones or an upper millstone, for he is taking necessities of life as a pledge.[o]

“If a man is caught[p] kidnapping somebody from among his countrymen,[q] the Israelites,[r] and he treats him as a slave or he sells him, then that kidnapper shall die, and so you shall purge the evil from among you.[s]

Be watchful[t] with respect to[u] an outbreak of any infectious skin disease, by being very careful and by acting[v] according to all that the priests and the Levites have instructed you, just as I have commanded them, so you shall diligently observe.[w] So remember what Yahweh your God did to Miriam on the journey when you went out from Egypt.[x]

10 “When you make a loan to your neighbor, a loan of any kind, you shall not go into his house to take his pledge.[y] 11 You shall wait outside, and the man to whom you are lending, he shall bring the pledge outside to you. 12 And if he is a needy man, you shall not sleep in his pledge.[z] 13 You shall certainly return the pledge to him as the sun sets,[aa] so that he may sleep in his cloak and may bless you, and it shall be considered righteousness on your behalf[ab] before[ac] Yahweh your God.

14 “You shall not exploit a hired worker, who is needy and poor, from among your fellow men or from among your aliens[ad] who are in your land and in your towns.[ae] 15 On his day you shall give his wage, and the sun shall not go down,[af] because he is poor and his life depends on it;[ag] do this so that he does not cry out against you to Yahweh, and you incur guilt.[ah]

16 “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, and children shall not be put to death because of their fathers; each one shall be put to death for his own sin. 17 You shall not subvert the rights of an alien or an orphan, and you shall not take as pledge the garment of a widow. 18 And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that Yahweh your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this commandment.

19 “When[ai] you reap your harvest in your field and you forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not return to get it, for it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, so that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat off the fruit of your olive trees you shall not search through the branches afterward, for it[aj] shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.

21 When you harvest grapes, you shall not glean your vineyards again;[ak] it[al] shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for 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

  1. Deuteronomy 24:1 Or “If”
  2. Deuteronomy 24:1 Literally “and it will happen”
  3. Deuteronomy 24:1 Literally “if not she finds favor in his eyes”
  4. Deuteronomy 24:1 Literally “shameful/repulsive thing”
  5. Deuteronomy 24:2 Literally “for a man other”
  6. Deuteronomy 24:3 Literally “to for him”
  7. Deuteronomy 24:4 Literally “to return to take her”
  8. Deuteronomy 24:4 Literally “become unclean”
  9. Deuteronomy 24:4 Literally “to the face of”
  10. Deuteronomy 24:5 Or “If”
  11. Deuteronomy 24:5 Literally “he shall not come across come over upon him to anything”
  12. Deuteronomy 24:5 Literally “for his house”
  13. Deuteronomy 24:6 Hebrew “he”
  14. Deuteronomy 24:6 Or “require”
  15. Deuteronomy 24:6 Literally “for a life he is taking as a pledge”
  16. Deuteronomy 24:7 Literally “found”
  17. Deuteronomy 24:7 Or “brothers”
  18. Deuteronomy 24:7 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  19. Deuteronomy 24:7 Literally “from your midst”
  20. Deuteronomy 24:8 Or “Be careful”
  21. Deuteronomy 24:8 Literally “against”
  22. Deuteronomy 24:8 Or “doing”
  23. Deuteronomy 24:8 Literally “so you shall observe to do”
  24. Deuteronomy 24:9 Literally “in you to go out from Egypt”
  25. Deuteronomy 24:10 Literally “to pledge with respect to his pledge”
  26. Deuteronomy 24:12 “His pledge” refers to “a garment given as pledge”
  27. Deuteronomy 24:13 Literally “as/at the moment of the going out of the sun”
  28. Deuteronomy 24:13 Literally “to you”
  29. Deuteronomy 24:13 Literally “to the face of”
  30. Deuteronomy 24:14 Hebrew “alien”
  31. Deuteronomy 24:14 Literally “gates”
  32. Deuteronomy 24:15 Literally “over him”
  33. Deuteronomy 24:15 Literally “and to him it is a lifting up with respect to his life/soul”
  34. Deuteronomy 24:15 Literally “and it becomes against you as sin
  35. Deuteronomy 24:19 Or “If”
  36. Deuteronomy 24:20 That is, what is left
  37. Deuteronomy 24:21 Literally “behind/after you”
  38. Deuteronomy 24:21 That is, what is left