Old/New Testament
25 Two people may have an argument. They should go to the court. And the judges will decide the case. They will declare one person to be right. And they will punish the one who is guilty. 2 The guilty person might have to be punished with a beating. If so, the judge will make him lie down. They will beat him in front of the judge. The number of lashes should match the crime. 3 But don’t hit him more than 40 times. If he is beaten more than that, it would disgrace him before others.
4 When an ox is working in the grain, do not cover its mouth to keep it from eating.
5 Two brothers might be living together. One of them might die without having a son. His widow must not marry someone outside her husband’s family. Her husband’s brother must marry her. This is his duty for her as a brother-in-law. 6 The first son she has must be named for the dead brother. Then his name will not be forgotten in Israel.
7 But a man might not want to marry his brother’s widow. Then she should go to the elders at the town gate. And she should say, “My brother-in-law will not carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He refuses to do his duty for me.”
8 Then the elders of the town must call for the man and talk to him. But he might be stubborn and say, “I don’t want to marry her.”
9 If he does, the woman must go up to him in front of the elders. She must take off one of his sandals. She must spit in his face and say, “This is for the man who won’t continue his brother’s family!” 10 Then that man’s family shall be known in Israel as the Family of the Unsandaled.
11 Two men might be fighting. And one man’s wife comes to save her husband from his attacker. And she grabs the attacker by his sex organs. 12 You must cut off her hand. Give her no mercy.
13 Don’t carry two sets of weights with you, one heavy and one light. 14 Don’t have two different sets of measures in your house, one large and one small. 15 You must have true and honest weights and measures. Then you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 16 The Lord your God hates anyone who is dishonest and uses dishonest measures.
17 Remember what the Amalekites did to you when you came out of Egypt. 18 You were tired and worn out. And they met you on the road. They killed all those lagging behind. They were not afraid of God. 19 The Lord your God will give you rest from all the enemies around you. It will be in the land he is giving you to own. Then you shall destroy any memory of the Amalekites on the earth. Do not forget!
The First Harvest
26 Soon you will go into the land the Lord your God is giving you to own. You will take it over and live in it. 2 Then you must take some of the first harvest of crops. It will grow from the land the Lord your God is giving you. Put the food in a basket. Then go to the place where the Lord your God will choose to be worshiped. 3 Say to the priest on duty at that time, “Today I declare this before the Lord your God. I have come into the land the Lord promised to give us. He promised this to our ancestors.” 4 The priest will take your basket. He will set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall announce before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt. He stayed there with only a few people. But they became a great, powerful and large nation there. 6 But the Egyptians were cruel to us. They made us suffer and work very hard. 7 So we prayed to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard us. He saw our trouble, hard work and suffering. 8 Then the Lord brought us out of Egypt. He did it with his great power and strength. He used great terrors, signs and miracles. 9 Then he brought us to this place. He gave us this land where much food grows. 10 Now I bring you part of the first harvest from this land. Lord, you have given me this land.” Then place the basket before the Lord your God. And bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and foreigners among you should rejoice. The Lord your God has given good things to you and your family.
12 Bring a tenth of all your harvest the third year. This is the year to give a tenth of your harvest. Give it to the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows. Then they may eat in your towns and be full. 13 Then say to the Lord your God, “I have taken out of my house the part of my harvest that belongs to God. I have given it to the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows. I have done everything you commanded me. I have not broken your commands. And I have not forgotten any of them. 14 I have not eaten any of the holy part while I was in sorrow. I have not removed any of it while I was unclean. I have not offered it for dead people. I have obeyed you, the Lord my God. I have done everything you commanded me. 15 So look down from heaven, your holy home. Bless your people Israel. And bless the land you have given us. You promised it to our ancestors. It is a land where much food grows.”
Obey the Lord’s Commands
16 Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all these rules and laws. Be careful to do them with your whole being. 17 Today you have said that the Lord is your God. You have promised to do what he wants you to do. You have promised to keep his rules, commands and laws. You have said you will obey him. 18 And today the Lord has said that you are his very own people. He has promised it. But you must obey his commands. 19 The Lord will make you greater than all the other nations he made. He will give you praise, fame and honor. And you will be a holy people to the Lord your God. This is what he said.
The Law Written on Stones
27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people. They said, “Keep all the commands I have given you today. 2 Soon you will cross the Jordan River. You will go into the land the Lord your God is giving you. On that day set up some large stones. Cover them with plaster. 3 When you cross over, write all the words of these teachings on them. Then you may enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. It is a land where much food grows. It is just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised. 4 After you have crossed the Jordan River, set up these stones. Set them on Mount Ebal as I command you today. And cover them with plaster. 5 Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God. But don’t use any iron tool to cut the stones. 6 Build the altar of the Lord your God with stones from the field. Offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. 7 Offer fellowship offerings there. Eat them and rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 Then write clearly all the words of these teachings on the stones.”
Curses of the Law
9 Then Moses and the Levites, who are the priests, spoke to all Israel. They said, “Be quiet, Israel. Listen! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 Obey the Lord your God. Keep his commands and laws that I give you today.”
11 That day Moses also gave the people this command:
12 You will cross the Jordan River. Then these tribes must stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes must stand on Mount Ebal to announce the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.
14 The Levites will say to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:
15 “Anyone will be cursed who makes an idol or statue and secretly sets it up. The Lord hates idols made by man.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
16 “Anyone will be cursed who dishonors his father or his mother.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
17 “Anyone will be cursed who moves the stone that marks his neighbor’s border.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
18 “Anyone will be cursed who leads a blind person away from the road.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
19 “Anyone will be cursed who is unfair to foreigners, orphans or widows.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
20 “A man will be cursed who has physical relations with his father’s wife. It is a dishonor to his father.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
21 “Anyone will be cursed who has unnatural physical relations with an animal.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
22 “A man will be cursed who has physical relations with his sister. She may be his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
23 “A man will be cursed who has physical relations with his mother-in-law.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
24 “Anyone will be cursed who kills his neighbor secretly.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
25 “Anyone will be cursed who takes money to murder an innocent person.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
26 “Anyone will be cursed who does not agree with the words of these teachings and does not obey them.”
Then all the people will say, “Amen!”
Jesus’ Followers Will All Leave Him
27 Then Jesus told the followers, “You will all lose your faith in me. It is written in the Scriptures:
‘I will kill the shepherd,
and the sheep will scatter.’ Zechariah 13:7
28 But after I rise from death, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29 Peter said, “All the other followers may lose their faith. But I will not.”
30 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. Tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will say this three times before the rooster crows twice.”
31 But Peter answered strongly, “I will never say that I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone
32 Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to his followers, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 Jesus told Peter, James, and John to come with him. Then Jesus began to be very sad and troubled. 34 He said to them, “I am full of sorrow. My heart is breaking with sadness. Stay here and watch.”
35 Jesus walked a little farther away from them. Then he fell on the ground and prayed. He prayed that, if possible, he would not have this time of suffering. 36 He prayed, “Abba,[a] Father! You can do all things. Let me not have this cup[b] of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.”
37 Then Jesus went back to his followers. He found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, why are you sleeping? You could not stay awake with me for one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray that you will not be tempted. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”
39 Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. 40 Then he went back to the followers. Again he found them asleep because their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to say to Jesus.
41 After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his followers. He said to them, “You are still sleeping and resting? That’s enough! The time has come for the Son of Man to be given to sinful people. 42 Get up! We must go. Here comes the man who has turned against me.”
Jesus Is Arrested
43 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas came up. Judas was 1 of the 12 followers. He had many people with him. They were sent from the leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders. Those with Judas had swords and clubs.
44 Judas had planned a signal for them. He had said, “The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him and guard him while you lead him away.” 45 So Judas went to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” and kissed him. 46 Then the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47 One of the followers standing near drew his sword. He struck the servant of the high priest with the sword and cut off his ear.
48 Then Jesus said, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. 49 Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple. You did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened to make the Scriptures come true.” 50 Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.
51 A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, was following Jesus. The people also grabbed him. 52 But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked.
Jesus Before the Leaders
53 The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest. All the leading priests, the Jewish elders, and the teachers of the law were gathered there.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.