Exodus 23

1 Thou shall not take up a false report. Do not put thy hand with the wicked man to be an unrighteous witness.

“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.

2 Thou shall not follow a multitude to do evil, neither shall thou speak in a case to turn aside after a multitude to distort justice,

“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.

3 neither shall thou favor a poor man in his case.

You shall not favor a poor man in his cause.

4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, thou shall surely bring it back to him again.

“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.

5 If thou see the donkey of him who hates thee lying under his burden, thou shall refrain leaving him. Thou shall surely release it with him.

If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don’t leave him. You shall surely help him with it.

6 Thou shall not distort the justice due to thy poor in his case.

“You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

7 Keep thee far from a false matter. And do not kill an innocent and righteous man, for I will not justify a wicked man.

“Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.

8 And thou shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight, and perverts the words of the righteous.

“You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.

9 And thou shall not oppress a sojourner, for ye know the heart of a sojourner, since ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

“You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

10 And six years thou shall sow thy land, and shall gather in the increase of it,

“For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase,

11 but the seventh year thou shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of thy people may eat, and what they leave the beast of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shall deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.

but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the animal of the field shall eat. In the same way, you shall deal with your vineyard and with your olive grove.

12 Six days thou shall do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shall rest, that thine ox and thy donkey may have rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the sojourner, may be refreshed.

“Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant, and the alien may be refreshed.

13 And in all things that I have said to you take ye heed, and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

“Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and don’t invoke the name of other gods or even let them be heard out of your mouth.

14 Three times thou shall keep a feast to me in the year.

“You shall observe a feast to me three times a year.

15 Thou shall keep the feast of unleavened bread (Seven days thou shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib, for in it thou came out from Egypt, and none shall appear before me empty),

You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib (for in it you came out of Egypt), and no one shall appear before me empty.

16 and the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labors, which thou sow in the field, and the feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when thou gather in thy labors out of the field.

And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field; and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in your labors out of the field.

17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the lord Jehovah.

Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord Yahweh.

18 Thou shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread, neither shall the fat of my feast remain all night until the morning.

“You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. The fat of my feast shall not remain all night until the morning.

19 The first of the first-fruits of thy ground thou shall bring into the house of Jehovah thy God. Thou shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

You shall bring the first of the first fruits of your ground into the house of Yahweh your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

20 Behold, I send an agent before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

“Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

21 Take ye heed before him, and hearken to his voice, provoke him not. For he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.

22 But if thou shall indeed hearken to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries.

But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 For my agent shall go before thee, and bring thee in to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, and I will cut them off.

For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off.

24 Thou shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works, but thou shall utterly overthrow them, and break their pillars in pieces.

You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars.

25 And ye shall serve Jehovah your God, and he will bless thy bread, and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

You shall serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.

26 There shall none cast her young, nor be barren, in thy land; I will fulfill the number of thy days.

No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days.

27 I will send my terror before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shall come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs to thee.

I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

28 And I will send the hornet before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

I will send the hornet before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you.

29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee.

I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you.

30 Little by little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land.

31 And I will set thy border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and thou shall drive them out before thee.

I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.

32 Thou shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me, for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to thee.

They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”