Add parallel Print Page Options

Captive Women as Wives

10 When you go to war against your enemies, the Lord will ·help you defeat them [L give them into your hands] so you will take them captive. 11 If you see a beautiful woman among the captives and ·are attracted to [desire; fall in love with] her, you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home, where she must shave her head and cut her nails 13 and change the clothes she was wearing when you captured her. After she has lived in your house and cried for her ·parents [L father and her mother] for a month, you may marry her. You will be her husband, and she will be your wife. 14 But if you are not pleased with her, you must let her go anywhere she wants. You must not sell her for money or make her a slave, because you have ·taken away her honor [humiliated; exploited her].

Read full chapter

Domestic Relations

10 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and (A)the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take them away captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and are strongly attracted to her and would take her as a wife for yourself, 12 then you shall bring her into your home, and she shall (B)shave her head and [a]trim her nails. 13 She shall also [b]remove the clothes of her captivity and shall remain in your house, and (C)weep for her father and mother a full month; and after that you may have relations with her and become her husband and she shall be your wife. 14 But it shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then you shall let her go [c]wherever she wishes; and you certainly shall not sell her for money, you shall not treat her as merchandise, since you have [d](D)humiliated her.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 21:12 Lit do
  2. Deuteronomy 21:13 Lit remove from her
  3. Deuteronomy 21:14 Lit according to her soul
  4. Deuteronomy 21:14 I.e., by a forced marriage