Proper Use of Altars

²² And the Lord said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven. ²³ Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.

²⁴ “Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use. ²⁶ And do not approach my altar by going up steps. If you do, someone might look up under your clothing and see your nakedness.

Fair Treatment of Slaves

21 “These are the regulations you must present to Israel.

² “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. ³ If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him.

⁴ “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. ⁵ But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’