Deuteronomy 24
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Laws concerning Marriage and Divorce
24 [a]“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.
Footnotes
- 24.1 Divorce was permitted in Old Testament times on account of “hardness of heart”; Jesus, however, insists that it was not in the original plan of God (Mt 19.7-9).
Deuteronomy 24
New King James Version
Law Concerning Divorce
24 “When a (A)man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some [a]uncleanness in her, and he writes her a (B)certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 (C)then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is [b]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.
Miscellaneous Laws
5 (D)“When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and (E)bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.
6 “No man shall take the lower or the upper millstone in pledge, for he takes [c]one’s living in pledge.
7 “If a man is (F)found [d]kidnapping any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper shall die; (G)and you shall put away the evil from among you.
8 “Take heed in (H)an outbreak of leprosy, that you carefully observe and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall teach you; just as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. 9 (I)Remember what the Lord your God did (J)to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt!
10 “When you (K)lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. 11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you. 12 And if the man is poor, you shall not [e]keep his pledge overnight. 13 (L)You shall in any case return the pledge to him again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and (M)bless you; and (N)it shall be righteousness to you before the Lord your God.
14 “You shall not (O)oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. 15 Each day (P)you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; (Q)lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you.
16 (R)“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.
17 (S)“You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, (T)nor take a widow’s garment as a pledge. 18 But (U)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 thing.
19 (V)“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 for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may (W)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 stranger, 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 stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 24:1 indecency, lit. nakedness of a thing
- Deuteronomy 24:4 a detestable thing
- Deuteronomy 24:6 life
- Deuteronomy 24:7 Lit. stealing
- Deuteronomy 24:12 Lit. sleep with his pledge
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
