Add parallel Print Page Options

Various Laws

25 “If there is a controversy between men, and they go to court, and the judges decide [the issue] between them, and they judge in favor of the innocent and condemn the guilty, then it shall be that if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make him lie down and be beaten in his presence with a [certain] number of stripes in proportion to his offense. He may have him beaten forty times, but no more. He is not to be beaten with more stripes than these and he is not to be degraded [that is, treated like an animal] in your sight.

“You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing [to prevent him from eating any of the grain].(A)

“If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, the widow of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall be intimate with her after taking her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. It shall be that her firstborn [son] will [a]be given the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out of Israel. But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s [widowed] wife, then she shall go up to the gate [of the city, where court is held] to the elders, and say, ‘My brother-in-law refuses to continue his brother’s name in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband’s brother.’ Then the elders of his city will summon him and speak to him. And if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to marry her,’ then his brother’s widow shall approach him in the presence of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, ‘So it is done to that man who does not build up his brother’s household.’ 10 In Israel his [family] name shall be, ‘The house of him whose sandal was removed.’

11 “If [two] men, a man and his countryman, are fighting and the wife of one approaches to rescue her husband from the man who is striking him, and she reaches out with her hand and grabs the aggressor’s genitals, 12 then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity [for her].

13 “You shall not have in your bag inaccurate weights, a heavy and a light [so you can cheat others]. 14 You shall not have in your house inaccurate measures, a large and a small. 15 You shall have a perfect (full) and just weight, and a perfect and just measure, so that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 16 For everyone who does such things, everyone who acts unjustly [without personal integrity] is utterly repulsive to the Lord your God.

17 “Remember what Amalek did to you along the road when you came from Egypt, 18 how he met you along the road and attacked all the stragglers at your rear when you were tired and weary; and he did not [b]fear God.(B) 19 Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 25:6 Lit stand on.
  2. Deuteronomy 25:18 Or reverence.

Laws of Social Responsibility

25 “If there is a (A)dispute between men, and they come to [a]court, that the judges may judge them, and they (B)justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, then it shall be, if the wicked man (C)deserves to be beaten, that the judge will cause him to lie down (D)and be beaten in his presence, according to his guilt, with a certain number of blows. (E)Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother (F)be humiliated in your sight.

(G)“You shall not muzzle an ox while it [b]treads out the grain.

Marriage Duty of the Surviving Brother

(H)“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears (I)will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that (J)his name may not be blotted out of Israel. But if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the (K)gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.’ Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, (L)‘I do not want to take her,’ then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, (M)remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who will not (N)build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal removed.’

Miscellaneous Laws

11 “If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the genitals, 12 then you shall cut off her hand; (O)your eye shall not pity her.

13 (P)“You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. 14 You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. 15 You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, (Q)that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For (R)all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are [c]an abomination to the Lord your God.

Destroy the Amalekites

17 (S)“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he (T)did not fear God. 19 Therefore it shall be, (U)when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will (V)blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 25:1 Lit. the judgment
  2. Deuteronomy 25:4 threshes
  3. Deuteronomy 25:16 detestable