Law of Divorce

24 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens, if she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some (A)indecency in her, that (B)he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and [a]sends her away from his house, and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, and the latter husband [b]turns against her, writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand, and [c]sends her away from his house, or if the latter husband who took her to be his wife dies, then her (C)former husband who [d]sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, after [e]she has been defiled; for that is 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.

(D)When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army, nor be assigned any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall (E)make his wife whom he has taken happy.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 24:1 Or dismisses her
  2. Deuteronomy 24:3 Lit hates her
  3. Deuteronomy 24:3 Or dismisses her
  4. Deuteronomy 24:4 Or dismissed her
  5. Deuteronomy 24:4 I.e., in relationship to him

Marriage and divorce

24 Let’s say a man marries a woman, but she isn’t pleasing to him because he’s discovered something inappropriate about her. So he writes up divorce papers, hands them to her, and sends her out of his house. She leaves his house and ends up marrying someone else. But this new husband also dislikes her, writes up divorce papers, hands them to her, and sends her out of his house (or suppose the second husband dies). In this case, the first husband who originally divorced this woman is not allowed to take her back and marry her again after she has been polluted in this way because the Lord detests that. Don’t pollute the land the Lord your God is giving to you as an inheritance.

A newly married man doesn’t have to march in battle. Neither should any related duties be placed on him. He is to live free of such responsibilities for one year, so he can bring joy to his new wife.

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