Exodus 22:21–23:9

Laws Protecting the Vulnerable

21 “You must not exploit a foreign resident v or oppress him, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

22 “You must not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. w 23 If you do mistreat them, they will no doubt cry to Me, and I will certainly hear their cry. x 24 My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. y

25 “If you lend money to My people, to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest. z

26 “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him before sunset. 27 For it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body. a What will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will listen because I am compassionate. b

Respect for God

28 “You must not blaspheme God c or curse a leader among your people. d

29 “You must not hold back offerings e from your harvest or your vats. Give Me the firstborn of your sons. 30 Do the same with your cattle and your flock. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day you are to give them to Me. f

31 “Be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal g found in the field; throw it to the dogs.

Laws about Honesty and Justice

23 “You must not spread a false report. Do not join h the wicked to be a malicious witness. i

2 “You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice. j 3 Do not show favoritism to a poor person in his lawsuit.

4 “If you come across your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

5 “If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, and you want to refrain from helping it, you must help with it. k l

6 “You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in his lawsuit. 7 Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent and the just, because I will not justify the * guilty. m 8 You must not take a bribe, n for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and corrupts the words o of the righteous. 9 You must not oppress a foreign resident; p you yourselves know how it feels to be a foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.