Treat people and animals fairly

23 “Do not tell to others ◄false rumors/untrue reports► about other people. Do not help someone who is guilty by ◄testifying falsely/lying► about what happened.

2 Do not join a group of people who are planning to do something evil. Do not testify the way the crowd wants you to, if that will prevent the judge from deciding the case justly/fairly. 3 When a poor person is on trial, do not testify in his favor just because he is poor and you feel sorry for him.

4 If you see someone’s bull or donkey when it is wandering away loose, take it back to its owner, even if the owner is your enemy. 5 If you see someone’s donkey that has fallen down because of its heavy load, help the owner to get the donkey up again, even if he is someone who hates you. Do not just walk away without helping him.

6 Decide the cases of poor people who are on trial as fairly as you decide the cases of other people.

7 Do not accuse people falsely. Do not decide that innocent and righteous [DOU] people should be executed, because I will ◄punish/not forgive► people who do such an evil thing.

8 Do not accept money that is a bribe, because officials who accept bribes are not able to [MTY] decide what is right to do, and they do not allow innocent people to be treated fairly.

9 Do not mistreat foreigners who live among you. You know how people often treat foreigners, because the Egyptians did not treat you well when you were foreigners there.

10 Plant seeds in your ground and gather the harvest for six years. 11 But during the seventh year you must not plant anything. If things grow without your planting seeds, allow poor people to harvest and eat the crops. If there are still crops ◄left over/that they do not harvest►, allow wild animals to eat them. Do the same thing with your grapevines/vineyards and your olive trees.

12 You may work for six days each week, but on the seventh day you must rest and not work. And on the seventh day you must allow your work animals and your slaves and the foreigners who live among you also to rest and be refreshed.

13 Make certain that you obey everything that I have commanded you to do. Do not pray to [MTY] other gods. Do not even mention their names.”