Laws About Social Justice

16 (A)“If a man seduces a virgin[a] who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price[b] for her and make her his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, (B)he shall pay money equal to the (C)bride-price for virgins.

18 (D)“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

19 (E)“Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.

20 (F)“Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.[c]

21 (G)“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 (H)You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they (I)cry out to me, I will surely (J)hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and (K)your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

25 (L)“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 (M)If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he (N)cries to me, I will hear, for I am (O)compassionate.

28 (P)“You shall not revile God, nor (Q)curse a ruler of your people.

29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. (R)The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. 30 (S)You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: (T)seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

31 (U)“You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore (V)you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; (W)you shall throw it to the dogs.

23 (X)“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a (Y)malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, (Z)nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

(AA)“If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

(AB)“You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. (AC)Keep far from a false charge, and (AD)do not kill the innocent and righteous, for (AE)I will not acquit the wicked. (AF)And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

(AG)“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Laws About the Sabbath and Festivals

10 (AH)“For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

12 (AI)“Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

13 (AJ)“Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

14 (AK)“Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. 15 (AL)You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of (AM)Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. (AN)None shall appear before me empty-handed. 16 You shall keep (AO)the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the (AP)Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. 17 (AQ)Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.

18 (AR)“You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning.

19 “The best of the (AS)firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.

(AT)“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

Notas al pie

  1. Exodus 22:16 Or a girl of marriageable age; also verse 17
  2. Exodus 22:16 Or engagement present; also verse 17
  3. Exodus 22:20 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)

Social Responsibility

16 “If a man seduces a virgin(A) who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price,(B) and she shall be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.

18 “Do not allow a sorceress(C) to live.

19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal(D) is to be put to death.

20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god(E) other than the Lord must be destroyed.[a](F)

21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner,(G) for you were foreigners(H) in Egypt.

22 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.(I) 23 If you do and they cry out(J) to me, I will certainly hear their cry.(K) 24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.(L)

25 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.(M) 26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,(N) return it by sunset, 27 because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?(O) When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.(P)

28 “Do not blaspheme God[b](Q) or curse(R) the ruler of your people.(S)

29 “Do not hold back offerings(T) from your granaries or your vats.[c]

“You must give me the firstborn of your sons.(U) 30 Do the same with your cattle and your sheep.(V) Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.(W)

31 “You are to be my holy people.(X) So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts;(Y) throw it to the dogs.

Laws of Justice and Mercy

23 “Do not spread false reports.(Z) Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.(AA)

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice(AB) by siding with the crowd,(AC) and do not show favoritism(AD) to a poor person in a lawsuit.

“If you come across your enemy’s(AE) ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.(AF) If you see the donkey(AG) of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

“Do not deny justice(AH) to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge(AI) and do not put an innocent(AJ) or honest person to death,(AK) for I will not acquit the guilty.(AL)

“Do not accept a bribe,(AM) for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.

“Do not oppress a foreigner;(AN) you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Sabbath Laws

10 “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused.(AO) Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

12 “Six days do your work,(AP) but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.(AQ)

13 “Be careful(AR) to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods;(AS) do not let them be heard on your lips.(AT)

The Three Annual Festivals

14 “Three times(AU) a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.

15 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread;(AV) for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,(AW) for in that month you came out of Egypt.

“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.(AX)

16 “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest(AY) with the firstfruits(AZ) of the crops you sow in your field.

“Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering(BA) at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.(BB)

17 “Three times(BC) a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord.

18 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast.(BD)

“The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning.(BE)

19 “Bring the best of the firstfruits(BF) of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.(BG)

Notas al pie

  1. Exodus 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. Exodus 22:28 Or Do not revile the judges
  3. Exodus 22:29 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.