Fair Treatment of Captured Women

10 “When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take some of them prisoner, and 11 if you see a beautiful woman among the captives, desire her, and want to take her as your wife, 12 you are to bring her into your house. She is to shave her head, trim her nails, 13 remove the clothes she was wearing when she was taken prisoner, live in your house, and mourn for her father and mother a full month. After that, you may have sexual relations with her and be her husband, and she will be your wife. 14 Then if you are not satisfied with her, you are to let her go where she wants, but you must not sell her or treat her as merchandise,[a] because you have humiliated her.

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Footnotes

  1. 21:14 Hb obscure

Marrying a Captive Woman

10 When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands(A) and you take captives,(B) 11 if you notice among the captives a beautiful(C) woman and are attracted to her,(D) you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home and have her shave her head,(E) trim her nails 13 and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month,(F) then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. 14 If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.(G)

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