Chapter 24

Law of Divorce

1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens 1that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some aindecency in her, and bhe writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house,

2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife,

3 and if the latter husband 1turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife,

4 then her aformer husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.

5 “aWhen a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall bgive happiness to his wife whom he has taken.

Sundry Laws

6 “No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge.

7 “aIf a man is 1caught kidnapping any of his 2countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.

8 “aBe careful against 1an infection of leprosy, that you diligently observe and do according to all that the Levitical priests teach you; as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do.

9 “Remember what the Lord your God did ato Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.

10 “aWhen you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge.

11 “You shall remain outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you.

12 “If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge.

13 “aWhen the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and bit will be righteousness for you before the Lord your God.

14 “aYou shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your 1countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your 2towns.

15 “aYou shall give him his wages on his day 1before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his 2heart on it; so that bhe will not cry against you to the Lord and it become sin in you.

16 “aFathers shall not be put to death 1for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death 1for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.

17 “aYou shall not pervert the justice 1due an alien or 2an orphan, nor btake a widow’s garment in pledge.

18 “But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

19 “aWhen you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be bfor the alien, for the 1orphan, and for the widow, in order that the Lord your God cmay bless you in all the work of your hands.

20 “aWhen you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs 1again; it shall be bfor the alien, for the 2orphan, and for the widow.

21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not 1go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the 2orphan, and for the widow.

22 “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.