Exclusion and Inclusion

23 “No man whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off may enter the Lord’s assembly. No one of illegitimate birth may enter the Lord’s assembly; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter the Lord’s assembly. No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the Lord’s assembly;(A) none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, may ever enter the Lord’s assembly. This is because they did not meet you with food and water on the journey after you came out of Egypt, and because Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim was hired to curse you.(B) Yet the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but he turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves(C) you.(D) Never pursue their welfare or prosperity as long as you live. Do not despise an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you were a resident alien in his land. The children born to them in the third generation may enter the Lord’s assembly.

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The Lord’s assembly

23 [a] No man whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off can belong to the Lord’s assembly. No one born of an illegitimate marriage[b] can belong to the Lord’s assembly either. Not even the tenth generation of such children can belong to the Lord’s assembly. Ammonites and Moabites can’t belong to the Lord’s assembly. Not even the tenth generation of such people can belong to the Lord’s assembly, as a rule, because they didn’t help you with food or water on your journey out of Egypt, and because they hired Balaam, Beor’s son, from Pethor of Mesopotamia to curse you. But the Lord your God wasn’t interested in listening to Balaam. The Lord your God turned that curse into a blessing because the Lord your God loves you. So don’t be concerned with their health and well-being as long as you live.

Don’t detest Edomites, because they are your relatives. Don’t detest Egyptians because you were immigrants in their land. Children born to them are permitted to belong to the Lord’s assembly starting with the third generation.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 23:1 23:2 in Heb
  2. Deuteronomy 23:2 Heb uncertain