19TH CHAPTER

Duties of the People Toward God

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Tell the whole congregation of Israel: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 

3 “Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of rest as holy days. I am the Lord your God. 

4 “Don’t turn to worthless gods or cast metal idols. Never make any gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. 

5 “When you bring a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it ⸤properly⸥ so that you will be accepted. 6 Eat your sacrifice on the day you bring it and on the next day. On the third day burn whatever is left over. 7 If you eat any of it on the third day, it is repulsive and will not be accepted. 8 Those who eat it will be punished because they have dishonored what is holy to the Lord. They must be excluded from the people. 

Duties of the People Toward Each Other

9 “When you harvest the grain in your land, don’t harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you’re finished. 10 Don’t harvest your vineyard a second time or pick up fallen grapes. Leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am the Lord your God. 

11 “Never steal, lie, or deceive your neighbor. 

12 “Never swear by my name in order to deceive anyone. This dishonors the name of your God. I am the Lord. 

13 “Never oppress or rob your neighbor. Never keep the pay you owe a hired worker overnight. 14 Never curse deaf people or put anything in the way of blind people to make them stumble. Instead, fear your God. I am the Lord. 

15 “Don’t be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly. 16 Never gossip. Never endanger your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. 

17 “Never hate another Israelite. Be sure to correct your neighbor so that you will not be guilty of sinning along with him. 18 Never get revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord. 

Other Duties

19 “Obey my laws. Never crossbreed different kinds of animals. Never plant two kinds of crops in your field. Never wear clothes made from two kinds of material. 

20 “If a man has sexual intercourse with a female slave who is engaged to another man and if her freedom was never bought or given to her, they should not be put to death. He will only pay a fine because she is a slave. 21 He must bring a ram for his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 22 In the Lord’s presence the priest will use them to make peace with the Lord for this sin. The man will be forgiven for this sin. 

23 “When you come into the land and plant all kinds of fruit trees, you must not eat the fruit for ⸤the first⸥ three years. 24 In the fourth year all the fruit will be a holy offering of praise to the Lord. 25 In the fifth year you may eat the fruit. Do this to make the trees produce more for you. I am the Lord your God. 

26 “Never eat any meat with blood still in it. 

“Never cast evil spells, and never consult fortunetellers. 

27 “Never shave the hair on your foreheads, and never cut the edges of your beard. 28 Never slash your body to mourn the dead, and never get a tattoo. I am the Lord. 

29 “Never dishonor your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the country will turn to prostitution and be filled with people who are perverted. 

30 “Observe my days of rest as holy days and respect my holy tent. I am the Lord. 

31 “Don’t turn to psychics or mediums to get help. That will make you unclean. I am the Lord your God. 

32 “Show respect to the elderly, and honor older people. In this way you show respect for your God. I am the Lord. 

33 “Never mistreat a foreigner living in your land. 34 Foreigners living among you will be like your own people. Love them as you love yourself, because you were foreigners living in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. 

35 “Don’t be corrupt when administering justice concerning length, weight, or measuring liquid. 36 Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. 

37 “Obey all my laws and all my rules, and live by them. I am the Lord.”