Open English Translation DEU Chapter 24

24 When a man marries a woman, then further on he decides he doesn’t want her because of something he found out about her, then he must write a divorce notice and give it to her, and send her out of his house.[ref] 2 After she leaves that marriage, another man is allowed to marry her. 3 If that second husband also decides to divorce her by sending her away with a divorce notice, or if he were to die, 4 then the first husband isn’t allow to take her back as his wife. That’s because she’s been defiled and it would be abhorrent to Yahweh, and you mustn’t defile the land that your god Yahweh is giving you.

5 When a man is newly married, he mustn’t be called for the army or be given any other responsibilities. He must be free for one year to establish his house and to satisfy his new wife.

6 If someone borrows money, the lender mustn’t take their millstone for grinding grain as a pledge, because they need it to stay alive.

7 If someone is found to have abducted a fellow Israeli to make them into a slave or to sell them, then that abductor must be executed in order to purge such evils from your country.[ref]

8 Stay on guard against a plague of skin disease. Always follow what the priests and Levites tell you all to do, as I’ve instructed them.[ref] 9 Remember what your god Yahweh did to Miryam on the way out of Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim).[ref]

10 If you’ve lent anything to a neighbour, don’t go into their house to collect their pledge. 11 Just wait outside, then the person you’ve lent something to will bring the item out to you. 12 However, if that person is poor and gives clothing or a blanket as security, don’t keep it overnight. 13 Take it back to them when the sun goes down so they’ll be warm when they sleep. Then they’ll bless you and your god Yahweh will be pleased with you.

14 Don’t oppress any poor or needy hired workers, whether they’re fellow Israelis or foreigners who live in your towns.[ref] 15 At the end of each day, pay them before sunset, because they need it to live on. Then they won’t cry out to Yahweh against you and have him hold you accountable.

16 Parents mustn’t be executed for what their children have done, and children mustn’t be executed for what their parents have done. Any person must only be executed for what they themselves have done.[ref]

17 Don’t pervert justice if it involves foreigners or orphans, and don’t take a widow’s cloak as security for a loan.[ref] 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and your god Yahweh rescued you from there. That’s why I’m commanding you to do those things—to be considerate about helping other people who are in need.

19 When you harvest your crops, if you forget a tied bundle in your field, don’t go back to get it—it’ll be for a resident foreigner or an orphan or widow to pick up, so that your god Yahweh can bless everything that you do.[ref] 20 When you beat your olive tree to make the fruit fall, don’t go back over it to pick the ones still on the tree. Those will be for the foreigner, or the orphan or widow. 21 Similarly, when you pick your grapes in the vineyard, don’t go back over the vines a second time. Those will be for the foreigner, or the orphan or widow. 22 Don’t forget that you were a slave in Egypt—that’s why I’m instructing you to do those things.