25 When people have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges^(A) will decide the case,^(B) acquitting^(C) the innocent and condemning the guilty.^{(D) 2} If the guilty person deserves to be beaten,^(E) the judge shall make them lie down and have them flogged in his presence with the number of lashes the crime deserves, ³ but the judge must not impose more than forty lashes.^(F) If the guilty party is flogged more than that, your fellow Israelite will be degraded in your eyes.^(G)

⁴ Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.^(H)

⁵ If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.^{(I) 6} The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.^(J)

⁷ However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife,^(K) she shall go to the elders at the town gate^(L) and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.”^{(M) 8} Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” ⁹ his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals,^(N) spit in his face^(O) and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” ¹⁰ That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

¹¹ If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, ¹² you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity.^(P)

¹³ Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light.^{(Q) 14} Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. ¹⁵ You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long^(R) in the land the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁶ For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.^(S)

¹⁷ Remember what the Amalekites^(T) did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. ¹⁸ When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.^{(U) 19} When the Lord your God gives you rest^(V) from all the enemies^(W) around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek^(X) from under heaven. Do not forget!

Firstfruits and Tithes

26 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, ² take some of the firstfruits^(Y) of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name^{(Z) 3} and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” ⁴ The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. ⁵ Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering^(AA) Aramean,^(AB) and he went down into Egypt with a few people^(AC) and lived there and became a great nation,^(AD) powerful and numerous. ⁶ But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer,^(AE) subjecting us to harsh labor.^{(AF) 7} Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice^(AG) and saw^(AH) our misery,^(AI) toil and oppression.^{(AJ) 8} So the Lord brought us out of Egypt^(AK) with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,^(AL) with great terror and with signs and wonders.^{(AM) 9} He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;^{(AN) 10} and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.^(AO)” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. ¹¹ Then you and the Levites^(AP) and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice^(AQ) in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

¹² When you have finished setting aside a tenth^(AR) of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe,^(AS) you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. ¹³ Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.^{(AT) 14} I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean,^(AU) nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. ¹⁵ Look down from heaven,^(AV) your holy dwelling place, and bless^(AW) your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Follow the Lord’s Commands

¹⁶ The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.^{(AX) 17} You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him.^{(AY) 18} And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession^(AZ) as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. ¹⁹ He has declared that he will set you in praise,^(BA) fame and honor high above all the nations^(BB) he has made and that you will be a people holy^(BC) to the Lord your God, as he promised.

The Altar on Mount Ebal

27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands^(BD) that I give you today. ² When you have crossed the Jordan^(BE) into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones^(BF) and coat them with plaster.^{(BG) 3} Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(BH) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. ⁴ And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal,^(BI) as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. ⁵ Build there an altar^(BJ) to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool^(BK) on them. ⁶ Build the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. ⁷ Sacrifice fellowship offerings^(BL) there, eating them and rejoicing^(BM) in the presence of the Lord your God.^{(BN) 8} And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones^(BO) you have set up.”^(BP)

Curses From Mount Ebal

⁹ Then Moses and the Levitical^(BQ) priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God.^{(BR) 10} Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”

¹¹ On the same day Moses commanded the people:

¹² When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim^(BS) to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,^(BT) Joseph and Benjamin.^{(BU) 13} And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal^(BV) to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

¹⁴ The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^{(A) 40} where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{(B) 42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(C) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(D) should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song^(E)

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise^(S) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”^(T)

⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶² Then they made signs^(U) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”^{(V) 64} Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^(W) praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^(X) people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.^(Y)

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^(Z) and prophesied:^(AA)

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit^[b];^(AT) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.