Deuteronomy 24

Suppose a man marries a woman and later decides that he does not want her because he finds something about her offensive. Then he must write a paper in which he says that he is divorcing her, give the paper to her, and send her away from his house.

After she leaves his house she is allowed to marry another man. \*

Suppose that that man later also decides that he does not like her, and that he also writes a paper in which he says that he is divorcing her, gives it to her, and sends her away from his house. Or, suppose that the second husband dies.

If either of those things happen, her first husband must not marry her again. She is now unclean to him. God would consider it to be disgusting if he married her again. You must not desecrate the land that God our God is giving to you by doing that. \*

When a man has just married a woman, he must not become a soldier in the army. He must not have to do any other kind of government work. He must not do those things during the first year after he gets married. Instead, he must stay at home and do what he can to make his new wife happy. \*

If someone lends money to another person, he may take something from that person as a guarantee that he will pay the money back. But he must not take a millstone. That is what the family needs to grind grain into flour in order to bake bread and stay alive. \*

If someone kidnaps a fellow Israelite to make that person his slave or to sell him to become someone else’s slave, you must execute the person-stealer. By doing that, you will make sure no one among you does this evil action. \*

If you are suffering from leprosy, be sure to do everything that the priests, who are from the tribe of Levi, tell you to do. Obey carefully the instructions that I have given to them.

Remember that God our God caused Miriam to have leprosy as your ancestors were coming out of Egypt. That is a warning for you. \*

When you lend something to someone, do not go into his house to take whatever item he says that he will give you to guarantee that he will return what he has borrowed.

Stand outside his house, and the man to whom you are lending something will bring the item out to you. \*

But if he is poor {and can only give you his cloak as a guarantee}, do not keep that cloak overnight.

When the sun sets, be sure to take the cloak back to him, in order that he may wear it while he sleeps. If you do that, he will ask God to bless you, and God our God will be pleased with you. \*

Do not mistreat any servants whom you have hired who are poor and needy, whether they are Israelites or foreigners who are living in your towns.

Every day, before sunset, you must pay them the money that they have earned. They are poor and they need to get their pay. If you do not pay them right away, they will cry out against you to God, and he will punish you for having sinned like that. \*

You must not execute any parents for crimes that their children have committed, and you must not execute any children for crimes that their parents have committed. You should only execute someone for the crimes that they themselves have committed. \*

You must do for foreigners who live among you and for orphans the things that the law commands you to do for them. Also, if you lend something to a widow, do not take her coat from her as a guarantee that she will return it.

Do not forget that you had great troubles when you were slaves in Egypt, and that God our God rescued you from there. That is why I am commanding you to help others who have troubles. \*

When you harvest your crops, if you forget a bundle in the field, do not go back to get it. Leave it there for foreigners, orphans, and widows. If you do that, God our God will bless you in everything that you do.

And when you have harvested all your olives from the trees once, do not go back to pick the ones that are still on the trees. Leave them for foreigners, orphans, and widows. \*

Similarly, when you pick the grapes in your vineyard, do not go back a second time to try to find more. Leave them for foreigners, orphans, and widows.

Do not forget that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I am commanding you to be kind to those who are needy. \*