Exodus 23

1 “You must not spread stories that are lies. You must not help bad people by giving evidence that's malicious.

“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.

2 Don't follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give evidence in a lawsuit, don't corrupt justice by siding with the majority.

You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.

3 Don't show favoritism to poor people in their legal cases either.

And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

4 If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey that has wandered off, take it back it to him.

If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you that has fallen under its load, don't just leave it there. You must stop and help.

If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

6 You must not prevent the poor from getting justice in their lawsuits.

You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.

7 Don't have anything to do with making false accusations. Don't kill the innocent or those who do right, for I won't let the guilty go unpunished.

Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.

8 Don't accept bribes, for a bribe blinds those who can see, and undermines the evidence of the honest.

Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

9 Don't abuse foreigners living among you, since you know very well what it's like to be foreigners, for you were once foreigners in Egypt.

Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

10 Six years you are to sow your land and harvest crops,

For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce,

11 but in the seventh year you are to let it rest and leave it uncultivated, so that poor people may eat what grows naturally from the field and the wild animals can finish what's left. Follow the same procedure for your vineyards and olive groves.

but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.

12 You have six days to do your work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, so that your ox and your donkey can rest, and your slaves' families can catch their breath, as well as the foreigners living among you.

For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.

13 Make sure to pay attention to everything I've told you. Don't think to call on the names of other gods—you must not even mention them.

Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.

14 Three times every year you are to celebrate a feast dedicated to me.

Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.

15 You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread as I instructed you. You are to eat bread without yeast for seven days at the appropriate time in the month of Abib, because that was the month you left Egypt. No one can come before me without bringing an offering.

You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before Me empty-handed.

16 You are also to observe the Festival of Harvest when you present the firstfruits of the produce from what you've sown in the fields. Lastly you are to observe the Festival of Gathering-In the Harvest at the end of the year, when you gather in the harvest of the rest of your crops from the field.

You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.

17 Every Israelite male is to come before the Lord God at these three times every year.

Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.

18 You must not offer the blood of my sacrifices together with anything that contains yeast, and the fat from the offerings presented at my festival must not be left until morning.

You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning.

19 Bring the best firstfruits of your crops to the house of the Lord your God. Don't cook a young goat in its mother's milk.

Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

20 Look, I'm sending an angel ahead of you to protect you on the way and to take you to the place I've prepared for you.

Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

21 Make sure you pay attention to him and do what he says. Don't oppose him, because he won't forgive rebellion, for he carries my authority.

Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.

22 However, if you listen to him carefully, and do everything that I tell you, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and I will fight those who fight against you.

But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

23 For my angel will go ahead of you and take you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.

For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.

24 You must not bow down to their gods or worship them or follow their pagan practices. No, you must demolish their idols and smash their sacred pillars into pieces.

You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.

25 You are to worship the Lord your God, and he will bless your food and water. I will make sure none of you fall sick.

So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you.

26 No woman will have a miscarriage or be without children. I will make sure you live long lives.

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

27 I will send terror about me ahead of you which will throw every nation you meet into panic. I will make all your enemies turn and run away.

I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.

28 I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out before you the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites.

I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.

29 I will not drive them out in just one year, because the land would become desolate and you would have to deal with increased numbers of wild animals.

I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you.

30 Bit by bit I will drive them out ahead of you, until there are enough of you to take possession of the land.

Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.

31 I will fix your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will hand the inhabitants of the land over to you, and you will drive them out.

And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.

32 You must not make any agreement with them or with their gods.

You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

33 They must not be allowed to stay in your land, otherwise they will lead you to sin against me. For if you worship their gods, they will definitely become a trap for you.”

They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”