Beginning

24 If a man taketh a wife, and hath her, and she findeth not grace before his eyes for some vileness, or uncleanness, he shall write a little book of forsaking, and he shall give (it) in her hand, and he shall deliver her from his house. (When a man taketh a wife, and hath her, and she findeth not favour before him, because of some vileness, or uncleanness, in her, he shall write up a bill of divorce, and he shall give it to her, and he shall put her out of his house.)

² And when she goeth out from him, and weddeth another husband,

³ and he also hateth her, and giveth to her a little book of forsaking, and delivereth her from his house, either certainly he is dead, (and he also hateth her, and giveth her a bill of divorce, and putteth her out of his house, or if he should die,)

⁴ the former husband shall not be able to receive her again into wife, for she is defouled, and made abominable before the Lord (the first husband shall not be able to take her back again to be his wife, for she is defiled, and made abominable before the Lord); lest thou make thy land to do sin, which thy Lord God hath given thee to wield.

⁵ When a man hath taken (of) late a wife, he shall not go forth to battle, neither anything of the common needs shall be enjoined to him, but he shall give attention without blame to his house(hold), that he be glad in one year with his wife. (When a man hath recently taken a wife, he shall not go forth to battle, nor anything of the common needs shall be required from him, but he shall give attention to his family for one year without blame, so that he can be happy with his wife.)

⁶ Thou shalt not take instead of a wed the lower and the higher quernstone of thy brother, for he hath put his life to thee. (Thou shalt not take in place of a pledge the lower or the higher millstone of thy brother, for then he hath given thee his life, that is, his livelihood.)

⁷ If a man is taken, that is, convicted in doom, busily ambushing to steal his brother of the sons of Israel, and when he hath sold him, taketh price, he shall be slain; and thus thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee. (If a man hath kidnapped his brother, yea, one of the Israelites, and maketh him his slave, or selleth him into slavery, he shall be put to death; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.)

⁸ Keep thou diligently, lest thou run into the sickness of leprosy, but thou shalt do whatever things that the priests of the kin of Levi teach thee, by that that I commanded to them, and fulfill thou it diligently. (Be thou careful, when thou hast run into the sickness of leprosy, that thou do whatever the levitical priests tell thee to do, yea, what I have commanded to them, and which thou must obey in order to recover.)

⁹ Have ye mind what things your Lord God did to Marie, in the way, when ye went out of Egypt. (Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam, on the way, when ye went out of Egypt.)

¹⁰ When thou shalt ask of thy neighbour anything that he oweth to thee, thou shalt not enter into his house, that thou take away from him a wed; (When thou shalt ask thy neighbour for what he oweth thee, thou shalt not enter into his house, to take away a pledge from him;)

¹¹ but thou shalt stand withoutforth, and he shall bring forth to thee that that he hath.

¹² And if he is poor, his wed shall not abide by night with thee (his pledge shall not stay with thee all night),

¹³ but anon thou shalt yield his wed to him before the going down of the sun, that he sleep in his cloth, and bless thee, and thou have rightwiseness before thy Lord God. (but at once thou shalt yield his pledge back to him, yea, before the going down of the sun, so that he can sleep in his own cloak, and bless thee, and then thou shalt have righteousness before the Lord thy God.)

¹⁴ Thou shalt not deny the hire of thy brother (who is) needy and poor, either of the comeling that dwelleth with thee in thy land, and is within thy gates; (Thou shalt not withhold the wages of thy servant who is needy and poor, whether he be a fellow Israelite, or a newcomer who dwelleth with thee in thy land, within thy gates;)

¹⁵ but in the same day thou shalt yield to him the price of his travail, before the going down of the sun, for he is poor, and sustaineth thereof his life; lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reckoned to thee into sin. (but thou shalt yield to him the wages for his work on the same day, before the going down of the sun, for he is poor, and sustaineth his life with them; lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reckoned unto thee as a sin.)

¹⁶ The fathers shall not be slain for the sons, neither the sons for the fathers, but each man shall die for his own sin.

¹⁷ Thou shalt not waywardly turn, or mis-deem, the doom of the comeling, or of the fatherless, either motherless child; neither thou shalt take away instead of a wed the cloth of a widow. (Thou shalt not waywardly turn, or pervert, justice for the newcomer, or for the fatherless or the motherless child; nor shalt thou take away the cloak of a widow in place of a pledge.)

¹⁸ Have thou mind (Remember), that thou servedest in Egypt, and thy Lord God delivered thee from thence; therefore I command to thee that thou do this thing.

¹⁹ When thou reapest corn in thy field, and forgettest, and leavest a reap, thou shalt not turn again to take it, but thou shalt suffer that a comeling, and a fatherless, either motherless child, and a widow take it away, that thy Lord God bless thee in all the work of thine hands. (When thou reapest corn in thy field, and forgettest, and leavest a sheaf, thou shalt not return to get it, but thou shalt allow the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, to take it, so that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands.)

²⁰ If thou gatherest the fruits of olives, whatever thing leaveth in the trees, thou shalt not turn again to gather it, but thou shalt leave it to a comeling, a fatherless, either motherless [child], and to a widow. (When thou gatherest the fruits of olives, whatever thing be left in the trees, thou shalt not return to gather it, but thou shalt leave it for the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow.)

²¹ If thou gatherest grapes of thy vinery, thou shalt not gather [the] raisins that leave, but those shall fall into the uses of the comeling, of the fatherless, either motherless [child], and of the widow. (When thou gatherest grapes from thy vineyard, thou shalt not gather the raisins that be left, but they shall be left for the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow.)

²² Have thou mind, that also thou servedest in Egypt (Remember, that thou were slaves in Egypt), and therefore I command to thee, that thou do this thing.

25 If a cause is betwixt any men, and they ask (the) judges, they shall give the victory of rightwiseness to him, whom they perceive to be just, and they shall condemn him of wickedness, whom they perceive to be wicked.

² And if they see him that hath sinned, (to be) worthy of beatings, they shall cast him (face) down, and they shall make him to be beaten before them; and the manner of the beatings shall be for the measure of the sin (and the number of beatings, or strokes, shall correspond to the measure of the sin),

³ so only that they pass not the number of forty strokes, lest thy brother be rent vilely before thine eyes, and go then away (and then go away).

⁴ Thou shalt not bind the mouth of the ox treading (out) thy fruits in the cornfloor. (Thou shalt not bind the mouth of the ox threshing thy grains on the threshing floor.)

⁵ When brethren dwell together, and one of them is dead without free children, the wife of the dead brother shall not be wedded to another man, but his brother shall take her, and he shall raise (up) the seed of his brother.

⁶ And he shall call her first begotten son by his name, that is, of the dead brother, (so) that his name be not done away from Israel.

⁷ And if he will not take the wife of his brother, which is due to him by law, the woman shall go to the gate of the city; and she shall ask the greater men in birth, and she shall say to them, My husband’s brother will not raise the seed of his brother in Israel, neither he will take me into marriage (and she shall say to the men of great age, that is, the elders, My husband’s brother will not raise up his brother’s descendants in Israel, nor will he take me into marriage).

⁸ And at once they shall make him to be called, and they shall ask him. If he answer, and say, I will not take her to wife (And If he answer, and say, I will not take her for a wife);

⁹ the woman shall go to him before the elder men of Israel, and she shall take his shoe off from his foot (and she shall take off the shoe from his foot), and she shall spit into his face, and she shall say to them, Thus it shall be done to the man, that buildeth not his brother’s house;

¹⁰ and his name shall be called in Israel, The house of the man unshod (The house of the unshod, or the shoeless, man).

¹¹ If two men have strife betwixt themselves, and one beginneth to strive against another, and the wife of the one man will deliver her husband from the hand of the stronger man, and she putteth forth her hand, and holdeth him by his privy members (and taketh hold of him by his private parts),

¹² thou shalt cut off her hand, neither thou shalt be bowed on her with any mercy (nor shalt thou show her any mercy).

¹³ Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse weights, a greater to buy with, and a less(er) to sell with,

¹⁴ neither a bushel more and a (bushel) less shall be in thine house. (nor shall a larger bushel and a smaller bushel be in thy house.)

¹⁵ Thou shalt have a just weight and true, and an even bushel and true shall be to thee, that thou live in much time on the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee. (Thou shalt have true and just weights, and there shall be a true and just bushel with thee, so that thou can live a long time on the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.)

¹⁶ For the Lord shall have him abominable that doeth these things, and he loatheth, either curseth, all unrightfulness.

¹⁷ Have mind what things Amalek did to thee in the way (Remember what the Amalekites did to thee on the way), when thou wentest out of Egypt;

¹⁸ how he came to thee, and killed the last men of thine host, that sat behind weary, when thou were dis-eased with hunger and travail, and he dreaded not God. (how they came to thee, when thou were hungry and tired, and killed the last men of thy army, who were weary and lagged behind, for they had no fear of God.)

¹⁹ Therefore when thy Lord God hath given rest to thee, and hath made subject to thee all (the) nations (round) about, in the land that he promised to thee, thou shalt do away Amalek’s name from under heaven (thou shalt do away the name of the Amalekites from under heaven); be thou ware lest thou forget this.

26 And when thou hast entered into the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee to wield, and thou hast gotten it, and hast dwelled therein,

² thou shalt take the first fruits of all thy fruits, and thou shalt put them in a basket; and thou shalt go to the place which thy Lord God (shall) choose, that his name be inwardly called there.

³ And thou shalt go to the priest, that shall be in those days, and thou shalt say to him, I acknowledge today before thy Lord God, that I have entered into the land, which he swore to our fathers, that he should give it to us (that he would give to us).

⁴ And the priest shall take the basket (out) of thine hand, and he shall set it (down) before the altar of thy Lord God.

⁵ And thou shalt say in the sight of thy Lord God, (A) Syrian pursued (was) my father, that went down into Egypt, and was a pilgrim there in fewest number; and he increased into a great folk, and strong, and of multitude without number. (And thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, A wandering Syrian was my father, who went down into Egypt, and he, with a few others, were foreigners there; but they increased into a great and strong nation, and into a multitude without number.)

⁶ And [the] Egyptians tormented us, and pursued us, and they putted upon us most grievous burdens.

⁷ And we cried to the Lord God of our fathers, which heard us (who heard us), and he beheld our meekness, and our travail, and our anguish;

⁸ and he led us out of Egypt in a mighty hand, and in an arm stretched out, in great dread, and in miracles, and in great wonders, (and he led us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm, with great and fearful miracles, and with great wonders,)

⁹ and he led us into this place; and he hath given to us a land flowing with milk and honey.

¹⁰ And therefore I offer now to thee the first fruits of the fruits of the land which (thou,) the Lord, gave to me. And thou shalt leave them in the sight of thy Lord God. And when thy Lord God is worshipped, (And so now I offer the first fruits of the fruits of the land which thou, O Lord, hath given me. And thou shalt leave them before the Lord thy God. And when thou hast worshipped the Lord thy God,)

¹¹ thou shalt eat in all the goods which thy Lord God gave to thee, and to thine house, thou, and the deacon, and the comeling that is with thee. (thou shalt make joy for all the good things which the Lord thy God hath given thee, and thy family, thou, and also the Levite, and the newcomer who is with thee.)

¹² When thou hast fulfilled the tithe of all thy fruits, in the third year of thy tithes, thou shalt give (them) to the deacon, and to the comeling, and to the fatherless, either the motherless child, and to the widow, that they eat within thy gates, and be full-filled. (When thou hast taken the tithe of all thy fruits in the third year, which is the tithe-year, thou shalt give them to the Levite, and the newcomer, and the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, so that they can eat it within thy gates, and be filled full.)

¹³ And thou shalt speak in the sight of thy Lord God, and say, I have taken away that that is hallowed of mine house, and I gave it to the deacon, and to the comeling, and to the fatherless, either motherless child, and to the widow, as thou commandedest to me; I passed not (over) thy commandments, I forgot not thy behest. (And thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought forth from my house what was dedicated to thee, and I have given it to the Levite, and the newcomer, and the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, as thou hast commanded me; I have not passed over thy commandments, I have not forgotten thy charge, or thy orders.)

¹⁴ I ate not of those things in my mourning, neither I separated them in(to) any uncleanness, neither I spended of those anything in burying of a dead body (I did not eat any of it while mourning, I did not put any of it aside for unclean uses, and I did not spend any of it for burying a dead body). I obeyed to the voice of my Lord God, and I did all things as thou commandedest to me.

¹⁵ Behold thou from thy saintuary, from the high dwelling place of heaven, and bless thou thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given to us, as thou hast sworn to our fathers, the land flowing with milk and honey.

¹⁶ Today Israel, thy Lord God commanded to thee, that thou do these behests and dooms, that thou keep and fulfill them of all thine heart, and of all thy soul. (Today Israel, the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thou obey these statutes and laws, or judgements, that thou keep and fulfill them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.)

¹⁷ Thou hast chosen the Lord today, that he be God to thee, and that thou go in his ways, and that thou keep his ceremonies, and his behests, and his dooms, and obey to his commandment. (Thou hast chosen the Lord today, that he be thy God, and that thou go in his ways, and that thou keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his laws, or his judgements, and obey his bidding, or his orders.)

¹⁸ Lo! the Lord hath chosen thee today, that thou be a special people to him, as he hath spoken to thee, and that thou keep all his commandments; (Lo! the Lord hath chosen thee today, that thou be a special people to him, as he hath promised thee, and also that thou obey all his commandments;)

¹⁹ and he shall make thee higher than all folks, which he made into his praising, and name, and glory; that thou be an holy people to thy Lord God, as he hath spoken to thee. (and he shall grant thee more favour than all the nations which he hath made, to bring him praise, and fame, and glory/and thou shalt bring him praise, and fame, and glory; and thou shalt be a holy people to the Lord thy God, as he promised thee.)

27 And Moses commanded, and the elder men, to the people of Israel, and said, Keep ye each commandment which I command to you today. (And Moses, with the elders of Israel, commanded to the people, and said, Obey ye each commandment which I command to you today.)

² And when ye have passed (the) Jordan (And when ye have crossed over the Jordan River), into the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee, thou shalt raise (up) great stones, and thou shalt make them plane with chalk,

³ that thou may write in them all the words of this law, when (the) Jordan is passed, that thou enter into the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee, the land flowing with milk and honey, as he promised to thy fathers. (so that thou can write on them all the words of this law, when the Jordan River is crossed over, and thou enter into the land that the Lord thy God shall give thee, the land flowing with milk and honey, as he promised to thy fathers.)

⁴ Therefore when thou hast passed (the) Jordan, raise thou up the stones which I command today to thee, in the hill of Ebal; and thou shalt make them plane with chalk. (And so when thou hast crossed over the Jordan River, raise thou up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I command to thee today, and thou shalt make them plane with chalk.)

⁵ And there thou shalt build an altar to thy Lord God, of stones which iron touched not, (And thou shalt build an altar there to the Lord thy God, out of stones which iron hath not touched,)

⁶ and of stones unformed and unpolished; and thou shalt offer thereon burnt sacrifices to thy Lord God; (yea, of unformed and unpolished stones; and thou shalt offer burnt sacrifices on it to the Lord thy God;)

⁷ and thou shalt offer peaceable sacrifices, and thou shalt eat there, and thou shalt make feast before thy Lord God. (and thou shalt offer peace offerings, and thou shalt eat them there, and thou shalt make a feast before the Lord thy God.)

⁸ And thou shalt write plainly and clearly on the stones all the words of this law. (And thou shalt write all the words of this law, clearly and plainly upon those stones.)

⁹ And Moses and the priests of the kindred of Levi said to all Israel, Israel, take heed thou, and hear; today thou art made the people of thy Lord God; (And Moses and the levitical priests said to all Israel, O Israel, take heed thou, and listen; today thou art made the people of the Lord thy God;)

¹⁰ thou shalt hear his voice, and thou shalt do the commandments, and his rightwisenesses, which I command to thee today. (thou shalt listen to his voice, and thou shalt do his commandments, and his statutes, which I command to thee today.)

¹¹ And Moses commanded to the people in that day, and said,

¹² These men shall stand upon the hill of Gerizim to bless the Lord, when (the) Jordan they have over-passed; Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. (These tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim, when ye have crossed over the Jordan River, and the blessings be proclaimed upon the people; Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.)

¹³ And even against, these men shall stand in the hill of Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. (And opposite them, these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal, when the curses be proclaimed; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.)

¹⁴ And the deacons shall pronounce, and shall say with high voice to all the men of Israel, (And then the Levites shall pronounce, and shall say with a loud voice to all the Israelites,)

¹⁵ Cursed is the man that maketh a graven image and molten, abomination of the Lord, the work of the hands of craftsmen, and shall set it in a privy place; and all the people shall answer, and say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who maketh a carved or a cast idol, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of craftsmen, and then shall set it up in a secret place; and all the people shall answer, and say, Amen!)

¹⁶ He is cursed that honoureth not, or despiseth, his father and mother; and all the people shall say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who honoureth not his father or his mother; and all the people shall say, Amen!)

¹⁷ Cursed is he that over-beareth, or undoeth, the terms of his neighbour; and all the people shall say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who turneth over, or moveth, his neighbour’s boundary stones; and all the people shall say, Amen!)

¹⁸ Cursed is he that maketh a blind man to err in the way; and all the people shall say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who leadeth a blind man astray; and all the people shall say, Amen!)

¹⁹ He is cursed that perverteth the doom of a comeling, of a fatherless, either motherless child, and of a widow; and all the people shall say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who withholdeth justice, or their rights, from the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow; and all the people shall say, Amen!)

²⁰ Cursed is (he) that sleepeth with his father’s wife, and showeth the private(s) of his bed; and all the people shall say, Amen!

²¹ Cursed is he that sleepeth with any beast; and all the people shall say, Amen!

²² Cursed is he that sleepeth with his sister, the daughter of his father, either of his mother; and all the people shall say, Amen!

²³ Cursed is he that sleepeth with his wife’s mother; and all the people shall say, Amen!

²⁴ Cursed is he that slayeth privily his neighbour; and all the people shall say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who secretly killeth his neighbour; and all the people shall say, Amen!) Cursed is he that sleepeth with his neighbour’s wife; and all the people shall say, Amen!

²⁵ Cursed is he that taketh gifts, that he smite the life of innocent blood; and all the people shall say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who taketh money, or a reward, to kill an innocent person; and all the people shall say, Amen!)

²⁶ Cursed is he that abideth not in the words of this law, neither fulfilleth them in work (nor fulfilleth them with deeds); and all the people shall say, Amen!