Deuteronomy 23:2-8
New International Version
2 No one born of a forbidden marriage[a] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.
3 No Ammonite(A) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.(B) 4 For they did not come to meet you with bread and water(C) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam(D) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim[b](E) to pronounce a curse on you.(F) 5 However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse(G) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves(H) you. 6 Do not seek a treaty(I) of friendship with them as long as you live.(J)
7 Do not despise an Edomite,(K) for the Edomites are related to you.(L) Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.(M) 8 The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 23:2 Or one of illegitimate birth
- Deuteronomy 23:4 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
Deuteronomy 23:2-8
New King James Version
2 “One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord.
3 (A)“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever, 4 (B)because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and (C)because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of [a]Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God (D)loves you. 6 (E)You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.
7 “You shall not abhor an Edomite, (F)for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because (G)you were an alien in his land. 8 The children of the third generation born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Deuteronomy 23:4 Heb. Aram Naharaim
Deuteronomy 23:2-8
English Standard Version
2 (A)“No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord.
3 (B)“No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, 4 (C)because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they (D)hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of (E)Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned (F)the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you. 6 You (G)shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.
7 “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for (H)he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because (I)you were a sojourner in his land. 8 Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the Lord.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.


