Deuteronomy 24:10-26:15

Good News Translation

^10 (A)“When you lend someone something, do not go into his house to get the garment he is going to give you as security; ¹¹ wait outside and let him bring it to you himself. ¹² If he is poor, do not keep it overnight; ¹³ return it to him each evening, so that he can have it to sleep in. Then he will be grateful, and the Lord your God will be pleased with you.

^14 (B)“Do not cheat poor and needy hired servants, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living in one of your towns. ¹⁵ Each day before sunset pay them for that day's work; they need the money and have counted on getting it. If you do not pay them, they will cry out against you to the Lord, and you will be guilty of sin.

^16 (C)“Parents are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their parents; people are to be put to death only for a crime they themselves have committed.

^17 (D)“Do not deprive foreigners and orphans of their rights; and do not take a widow's garment as security for a loan. ¹⁸ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God set you free; that is why I have given you this command.

^19 (E)“When you gather your crops and fail to bring in some of the grain that you have cut, do not go back for it; it is to be left for the foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. ²⁰ When you have picked your olives once, do not go back and get those that are left; they are for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ²¹ When you have gathered your grapes once, do not go back over the vines a second time; the grapes that are left are for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ²² Never forget that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I have given you this command.

25 “Suppose two Israelites go to court to settle a dispute, and one is declared innocent and the other guilty. ² If the guilty one is sentenced to be beaten, the judge is to make him lie face downward and have him whipped. The number of lashes will depend on the crime he has committed. ^3 (F)He may be given as many as forty lashes, but no more; more than that would humiliate him publicly.

^4 (G)“Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.

Duty to a Dead Brother

^5 (H)“If two brothers live on the same property and one of them dies, leaving no son, then his widow is not to be married to someone outside the family; it is the duty of the dead man's brother to marry her. ⁶ The first son that they have will be considered the son of the dead man, so that his family line will continue in Israel. ^7 (I)But if the dead man's brother does not want to marry her, she is to go before the town leaders and say, ‘My husband's brother will not do his duty; he refuses to give his brother a descendant among the people of Israel.’ ⁸ Then the town leaders are to summon him and speak to him. If he still refuses to marry her, ⁹ his brother's widow is to go up to him in the presence of the town leaders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face, and say, ‘This is what happens to the man who refuses to give his brother a descendant.’ ¹⁰ His family will be known in Israel as ‘the family of the man who had his sandal pulled off.’

Other Laws

¹¹ “If two men are having a fight and the wife of one tries to help her husband by grabbing hold of the other man's genitals, ¹² show her no mercy; cut off her hand.

^13-14 (J)“Do not cheat when you use weights and measures. ¹⁵ Use true and honest weights and measures, so that you may live a long time in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁶ The Lord hates people who cheat.

The Command to Kill the Amalekites

^17 (K)“Remember what the Amalekites did to you as you were coming from Egypt. ¹⁸ They had no fear of God, and so they attacked you from the rear when you were tired and exhausted, and killed all who were straggling behind. ¹⁹ So then, when the Lord your God has given you the land and made you safe from all your enemies who live around you, be sure to kill all the Amalekites, so that no one will remember them any longer. Do not forget!

Harvest Offerings

26 “After you have occupied the land that the Lord your God is giving you and have settled there, ^2 (L)each of you must place in a basket the first part of each crop that you harvest and you must take it with you to the one place of worship. ³ Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘I now acknowledge to the Lord my God that I have entered the land that he promised our ancestors to give us.’

⁴ “The priest will take the basket from you and place it before the altar of the Lord your God. ⁵ Then, in the Lord's presence you will recite these words: ‘My ancestor was a wandering Aramean, who took his family to Egypt to live. They were few in number when they went there, but they became a large and powerful nation. ⁶ The Egyptians treated us harshly and forced us to work as slaves. ⁷ Then we cried out for help to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our suffering, hardship, and misery. ⁸ By his great power and strength he rescued us from Egypt. He worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen. ⁹ He brought us here and gave us this rich and fertile land. ¹⁰ So now I bring to the Lord the first part of the harvest that he has given me.’

“Then set the basket down in the Lord's presence and worship there. ¹¹ Be grateful for the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family; and let the Levites and the foreigners who live among you join in the celebration.

^12 (M)“Every third year give the tithe—a tenth of your crops—to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat. When you have done this, ¹³ say to the Lord, ‘None of the sacred tithe is left in my house; I have given it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, as you commanded me to do. I have not disobeyed or forgotten any of your commands concerning the tithe. ¹⁴ I have not eaten any of it when I was mourning; I have not taken any of it out of my house when I was ritually unclean; and I have not given any of it as an offering for the dead.^[a] I have obeyed you, O Lord; I have done everything you commanded concerning the tithe. ¹⁵ Look down from your holy place in heaven and bless your people Israel; bless also the rich and fertile land that you have given us, as you promised our ancestors.’