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her father refuses to let him marry her, the man
must still pay him an amount equal to the bride
price of a virgin.
18 “You must not allow a sorceress to live.
19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an
animal must certainly be put to death.
20 “Anyone who sacrifices to any god other
than the Lord must be destroyed.*
21 “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were
once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
22 “You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. 23 If you exploit them in any way and they
cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry.
24 My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill
you with the sword. Then your wives will be
widows and your children fatherless.
25 “If you lend money to any of my people who
are in need, do not charge interest as a money
lender would. 26 If you take your neighbor’s
cloak as security for a loan, you must return
it before sunset. 27 This coat may be the only
blanket your neighbor has. How can a person
sleep without it? If you do not return it and your
neighbor cries out to me for help, then I will
hear, for I am merciful.
28 “You must not dishonor God or curse any
of your rulers.
29 “You must not hold anything back when
you give me offerings from your crops and your
wine.
“You must give me your firstborn sons.
30 “You must also give me the firstborn of your
cattle, sheep, and goats. But leave the newborn
animal with its mother for seven days; then give
it to me on the eighth day.
31 “You must be my holy people. Therefore, do
not eat any animal that has been torn up and
killed by wild animals. Throw it to the dogs.
A Call for Justice
“You must not pass along false rumors.
You must not cooperate with evil people
by lying on the witness stand.
2 “You must not follow the crowd in doing
wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. 3 And do not slant your testimony in favor of
a person just because that person is poor.
4 “If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its
owner. 5 If you see that the donkey of someone
who hates you has collapsed under its load, do
not walk by. Instead, stop and help.
23
22:20 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete
consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying
them or by giving them as an offering. 23:15 Hebrew appointed
time in the month of Abib. This first month of the ancient Hebrew
lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of March and
April. 23:16a Or Festival of Weeks. This was later called the
Festival of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1). It is celebrated today as
Shavuot (or Shabuoth). 23:16b Or Festival of Ingathering. This
was later called the Festival of Shelters or Festival of Tabernacles
(see Lev 23:33-36). It is celebrated today as Sukkot (or Succoth).
EXODUS 23
6 “In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to
the poor.
7 “Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with
evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless
person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.
8 “Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe
makes even a righteous person twist the truth.
9 “You must not oppress foreigners. You know
what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
10 “Plant and harvest your crops for six years,
11 but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor
among you harvest whatever grows on its own.
Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same
applies to your vineyards and olive groves.
12 “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop
working. This gives your ox and your donkey a
chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the
foreigners living among you to be refreshed.
13 “Pay close attention to all my instructions.
You must not call on the name of any other
gods. Do not even speak their names.
Three Annual Festivals
14 “Each year you must celebrate three festivals
in my honor. 15 First, celebrate the Festival of
Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread
you eat must be made without yeast, just as I
commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the
month of Abib,* for that is the anniversary of
your departure from Egypt. No one may appear
before me without an offering.
16 “Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest,*
when you bring me the first crops of your harvest.
“Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final
Harvest* at the end of the harvest season, when
you have harvested all the crops from your
fields. 17 At these three times each year, every
man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign,
the Lord.
18 “You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods
containing yeast. And do not leave the fat from
the festival offerings until the next morning.
19 “As you harvest your crops, bring the very
best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord
your God.
“You must not cook a young goat in its
mother’s milk.
A Promise of the LORD’s Presence
20 “See, I am sending an angel before you to
protect you on your journey and lead you
safely to the place I have prepared for you.
21 Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is