Deuteronomy 24

1When a man taketh a wife, and marrieth her, then it shall be, if she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

1Suppose a man marries a woman, but later he is not happy with her because he has found something indecent about her. He writes her a letter of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house.

2And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.

2After she leaves his house, she is free to go and marry another man.

3And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife;

3But if the second husband also turns against her, writes her a letter of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away, or if that second husband dies,

4her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Jehovah: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

4then the first husband who divorced her is not allowed to marry her again. She has become defiled for him, and that would be disgusting to the LORD. You must not bring such sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as your own.

5When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go out in the host, neither shall he be charged with any business: he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he hath taken.

5When a man is newly married, he must not be sent out with the army or be given any other special duties. He is to be free to stay at home for one year to bring happiness to the wife he has married.

6No man shall take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.

6Do not take a pair of millstones, or even just the upper one, as security for a loan. That would be like taking a person's livelihood away.

7If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and he deal with him as a slave, or sell him; then that thief shall die: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

7If someone is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite, treating them as a slave or selling them, that kidnapper must die. You must purge this evil from among you.

8Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.

8In cases of serious skin diseases, be very careful to follow exactly what the Levitical priests tell you to do. You must be sure to do just as I have commanded them.

9Remember what Jehovah thy God did unto Miriam, by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt.

9Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on your journey after you came out of Egypt.

10When thou dost lend thy neighbor any manner of loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.

10When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into his house to pick out what he will give you as security.

11Thou shalt stand without, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring forth the pledge without unto thee.

11Stay outside and let the person you are lending to bring the security out to you.

12And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge;

12If the person is poor, do not keep his security overnight.

13thou shalt surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his garment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before Jehovah thy God.

13Be sure to return it to him by sunset so that he can sleep in his own cloak. He will bless you, and the LORD your God will consider it a righteous act.

14Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy sojourners that are in thy land within thy gates:

14Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner living in one of your towns.

15in his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it (for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it); lest he cry against thee unto Jehovah, and it be sin unto thee.

15Pay him his wages each day before sunset because he is poor and depends on the money. Otherwise, he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

16The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

16Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, and children must not be put to death for the sins of their parents. Each person must die for their own sin.

17Thou shalt not wrest the justice due to the sojourner, or to the fatherless, nor take the widow’s raiment to pledge;

17Do not deny justice to foreigners or orphans, and do not take a widow's clothing as security for a loan.

18but thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and Jehovah thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

18Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God rescued you from there. That is why I am giving you this command.

19When thou reapest thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands.

19When you are harvesting your crops and you forget a bundle of grain in the field, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you do.

20When thou beatest thine olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

20When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.

21When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it after thee: it shall be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

21When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go back over the vines to pick what is left. Leave it for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.

22And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

22Always remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am commanding you to do these things.