Exodus 23
1 “You must not spread stories that are lies. You must not help bad people by giving evidence that's malicious.
| לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא אַל־תָּשֶׁת יָֽדְךָ עִם־רָשָׁע לִהְיֹת עֵד חָמָֽס׃ |
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.
| לֹֽא־תִהְיֶה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּים לְרָעֹת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶה עַל־רִב לִנְטֹת אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְהַטֹּֽת׃ |
3 Don't show favoritism to poor people in their legal cases either.
| וְדָל לֹא תֶהְדַּר בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃ |
4 If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey that has wandered off, take it back it to him.
| כִּי תִפְגַּע שׁוֹר אֹֽיִבְךָ אוֹ חֲמֹרוֹ תֹּעֶה הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לֽוֹ׃ |
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.
| כִּֽי־תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ רֹבֵץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ מֵעֲזֹב לוֹ עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב עִמּֽוֹ׃ |
6 You must not prevent the poor from getting justice in their lawsuits.
| לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃ |
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.
| מִדְּבַר־שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק וְנָקִי וְצַדִּיק אַֽל־תַּהֲרֹג כִּי לֹא־אַצְדִּיק רָשָֽׁע׃ |
8 Don't accept bribes, for a bribe blinds those who can see, and undermines the evidence of the honest.
| וְשֹׁחַד לֹא תִקָּח כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר פִּקְחִים וִֽיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִֽים׃ |
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.
| וְגֵר לֹא תִלְחָץ וְאַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ הַגֵּר כִּֽי־גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ |
10 Six years you are to sow your land and harvest crops,
| וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע אֶת־אַרְצֶךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ |
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.
| וְהַשְּׁבִיעִת תִּשְׁמְטֶנָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּהּ וְאָֽכְלוּ אֶבְיֹנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְיִתְרָם תֹּאכַל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה כֵּֽן־תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכַרְמְךָ לְזֵיתֶֽךָ׃ |
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.
| שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי תִּשְׁבֹּת לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ שֽׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרֶךָ וְיִנָּפֵשׁ בֶּן־אֲמָתְךָ וְהַגֵּֽר׃ |
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.
| וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עַל־פִּֽיךָ׃ |
14 Three times every year you are to celebrate a feast dedicated to me.
| שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים תָּחֹג לִי בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ |
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.
| אֶת־חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִךָ לְמוֹעֵד חֹדֶשׁ הָֽאָבִיב כִּי־בוֹ יָצָאתָ מִמִּצְרָיִם וְלֹא־יֵרָאוּ פָנַי רֵיקָֽם׃ |
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.
| וְחַג הַקָּצִיר בִּכּוּרֵי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע בַּשָּׂדֶה וְחַג הָֽאָסִף בְּצֵאת הַשָּׁנָה בְּאׇסְפְּךָ אֶֽת־מַעֲשֶׂיךָ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ |
17 Every Israelite male is to come before the Lord God at these three times every year.
| שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כׇּל־זְכוּרְךָ אֶל־פְּנֵי הָאָדֹן ׀ יְהֹוָֽה׃ |
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.
| לֹֽא־תִזְבַּח עַל־חָמֵץ דַּם־זִבְחִי וְלֹֽא־יָלִין חֵֽלֶב־חַגִּי עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃ |
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.
| רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּֽוֹ׃ |
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.
| הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמׇרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ וְלַהֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הֲכִנֹֽתִי׃ |
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.
| הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו וּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ אַל־תַּמֵּר בּוֹ כִּי לֹא יִשָּׂא לְפִשְׁעֲכֶם כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ |
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.
| כִּי אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ וְעָשִׂיתָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר וְאָֽיַבְתִּי אֶת־אֹיְבֶיךָ וְצַרְתִּי אֶת־צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃ |
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.
| כִּֽי־יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָכִי לְפָנֶיךָ וֶהֱבִֽיאֲךָ אֶל־הָֽאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהִכְחַדְתִּֽיו׃ |
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.
| לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם וְלֹא תׇֽעׇבְדֵם וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי הָרֵס תְּהָרְסֵם וְשַׁבֵּר תְּשַׁבֵּר מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ |
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.
| וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם וּבֵרַךְ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת־מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃ |
26 No woman will have a miscarriage or be without children. I will make sure you live long lives.
| לֹא תִהְיֶה מְשַׁכֵּלָה וַעֲקָרָה בְּאַרְצֶךָ אֶת־מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּֽא׃ |
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.
| אֶת־אֵֽימָתִי אֲשַׁלַּח לְפָנֶיךָ וְהַמֹּתִי אֶת־כׇּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹא בָּהֶם וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־כׇּל־אֹיְבֶיךָ אֵלֶיךָ עֹֽרֶף׃ |
28 I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out before you the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites.
| וְשָׁלַחְתִּי אֶת־הַצִּרְעָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְגֵרְשָׁה אֶת־הַחִוִּי אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי וְאֶת־הַחִתִּי מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ׃ |
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.
| לֹא אֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ בְּשָׁנָה אֶחָת פֶּן־תִּהְיֶה הָאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה וְרַבָּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ |
30 Bit by bit I will drive them out ahead of you, until there are enough of you to take possession of the land.
| מְעַט מְעַט אֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר תִּפְרֶה וְנָחַלְתָּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ |
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.
| וְשַׁתִּי אֶת־גְּבֻלְךָ מִיַּם־סוּף וְעַד־יָם פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמִמִּדְבָּר עַד־הַנָּהָר כִּי ׀ אֶתֵּן בְּיֶדְכֶם אֵת יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ וְגֵרַשְׁתָּמוֹ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃ |
32 You must not make any agreement with them or with their gods.
| לֹֽא־תִכְרֹת לָהֶם וְלֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם בְּרִֽית׃ |
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.”
| לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאַרְצְךָ פֶּן־יַחֲטִיאוּ אֹתְךָ לִי כִּי תַעֲבֹד אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה לְךָ לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃ |
