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Those Who May Not Enter the Assembly

23 (A)No one who is [a]emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of Yahweh. No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of Yahweh; even to the tenth generation, none of his seed shall enter the assembly of Yahweh. (B)No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of Yahweh; even to the tenth generation, none of their seed shall ever enter the assembly of Yahweh, (C)because they did not meet you with [b]food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you (D)Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of [c]Mesopotamia, to curse you. Nevertheless, Yahweh your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but Yahweh your God (E)turned the curse into a blessing for you because Yahweh your God (F)loves you. (G)You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

“You shall not abhor an Edomite, for (H)he is your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian, (I)for you were a sojourner in his land. The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 23:1 Lit wounded by crushing of testicles
  2. Deuteronomy 23:4 Lit bread
  3. Deuteronomy 23:4 Heb Aram-naharaim

Exclusion From the Assembly

23 [a]No one who has been emasculated(A) by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.

No one born of a forbidden marriage[b] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.

No Ammonite(B) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.(C) For they did not come to meet you with bread and water(D) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam(E) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim[c](F) to pronounce a curse on you.(G) However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse(H) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves(I) you. Do not seek a treaty(J) of friendship with them as long as you live.(K)

Do not despise an Edomite,(L) for the Edomites are related to you.(M) Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.(N) The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 23:1 In Hebrew texts 23:1-25 is numbered 23:2-26.
  2. Deuteronomy 23:2 Or one of illegitimate birth
  3. Deuteronomy 23:4 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia