Deuteronomy 24

1 If a man take a wife, and have her, and she find not favour in his eyes, for some uncleanness: he shall write a bill of divorce, and shall give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

“Suppose a man marries a woman and later decides that he does not want her because there is something about her that he doesn’t like. And suppose he writes on paper that he is divorcing her, and he gives the paper to her [SYN] and sends her away from his house.

2 And when she is departed, and marrieth another husband,

Then suppose that she goes and marries another man,

3 And he also hateth her, and hath given her a bill of divorce, and hath sent her out of his house or is dead:

and that man [later also] decides that he does not like her, and he also writes on paper that he is divorcing her, and he sends her away from his house. Or, suppose that the second husband dies.

4 The former husband cannot take her again to wife: because she is defiled, and is become abominable before the Lord: lest thou cause thy land to sin, which the Lord thy God shall give thee to possess.

If either of those things happens, her first husband must not marry her again. He must consider that she has become unacceptable to Yahweh. Yahweh would consider it to be disgusting [if he married her again]. You must not sin [MTY] by doing that in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you.”

5 When a man hath lately taken a wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall any public business be enjoined him, but he shall be free at home without fault, that for one year he may rejoice with his wife.

“When some man has recently become married, he must not [be required to] become a soldier in the army or be required to do any other work [for the government] for one year [after being married]. He should stay happily at home with his wife for that year.

6 Thou shalt not take the nether, nor the upper millstone to pledge: for he hath pledged his life to thee.

“Anyone who lends money to someone else [is allowed to require that person to give him something] to guarantee [that he will pay back the money that he borrowed. But] he must not take from him his (millstone/stone for grinding grain). That would be taking [the millstone that his family needs to grind the grain to make the bread] they need to stay alive.

7 If any man be found soliciting his brother of the children of Israel, and selling him shall take a price, he shall be put to death, and thou shalt take away the evil from the midst of thee.

“If someone kidnaps/steals a fellow Israeli to cause that person to become his slave or to sell him [to become someone else’s slave], you must execute the person who did that. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil among you.

8 Observe diligently that thou incur not the stroke of the leprosy, but thou shalt do whatsoever the priests of the Levitical race shall teach thee, according to what I have commanded them, and fulfill thou it carefully.

“If you are suffering from (leprosy/a dreaded skin disease), 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.

9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Mary, in the way when you came out of Egypt.

Do not forget what Yahweh our God did to Miriam, [when she became a leper], after your ancestors left Egypt.

10 When thou shalt demand of thy neighbour any thing that he oweth thee, thou shalt not go into his house to take away a pledge:

“When you lend something to someone, do not go into his house to take the cloak that he says that he will give you to guarantee [that he will return what he has borrowed].

11 But then shalt stand without, and he shall bring out to thee what he hath.

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

12 But if he be poor, the pledge shall not lodge with thee that night,

But if he is poor, do not keep that cloak all night.

13 But thou shalt restore it to him presently before the going down of the sun: that he may sleep in his own raiment and bless thee, and thou mayst have justice before the Lord thy God.

When the sun sets, 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 Yahweh our God will be pleased with you.

14 Thou shalt not refuse the hire of the needy, and the poor, whether he be thy brother, or a stranger that dwelleth with thee in the land, and is within thy gates:

“Do not mistreat any servants whom you have hired who are poor and needy [DOU], whether they are Israelis or foreigners who are living in your town.

15 But thou shalt pay him the price of his labour the same day, before the going down of the sun, because he is poor, and with it maintaineth his life: lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reputed to thee for a sin.

Every day, before sunset, you must pay/give 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 Yahweh, and he will punish [MTY] you for having sinned like that.

16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children for the fathers, but every one shall die for his own sin.

“Parents must not be executed for crimes that their children have committed, and children must not be executed for crimes that their parents have committed. People should be executed only for the crimes that they themselves have committed.

17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger nor of the fatherless, neither shalt thou take away the widow’s raiment for a pledge.

“You must [LIT] do for foreigners [who live] among you and for orphans what the laws state must be done for them. And [if you lend something to] a widow, do not take her coat from her as a guarantee [that she will return it].

18 Remember that thou wast a slave in Egypt, and the Lord thy God delivered thee from thence. Therefore I command thee to do this thing.

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

19 When thou hast reaped the corn in thy field, and hast forgot and left a sheaf, thou shalt not return to take it away: but thou shalt suffer the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow to tabs it away: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works of thy hands.

“When you harvest your crops, if you have forgotten [that you left] one bundle in the field, do not go back to get it. [Leave it there] for foreigners, orphans, and widows. If you do that, Yahweh will bless you in everything that you do.

20 If thou have gathered the fruit of thy olive trees, thou shalt not return to gather whatsoever remaineth on the trees: but shalt leave it for the stranger, for the fatherless, and the widow.

And when you have harvested/picked all your olives from the trees once, do not go back [to pick the ones that are still] on the trees.

21 If thou make the vintage of thy vineyard, thou shalt not gather the clusters that remain, but they shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

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

22 Remember that thou also wast a bondman in Egypt, and therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Do not forget that [Yahweh was kind to you when] you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I am commanding you [to be kind to those who are needy].”