Exodus 23

1 Thou shalt not receiue a false tale, neyther shalt thou put thine hande with the wicked, to be a false witnes.

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

2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do euil, neither agree in a controuersie to decline after many and ouerthrowe the trueth.

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

3 Thou shalt not esteeme a poore man in his cause.

You shall not favor a poor man in his cause.

4 If thou meete thine enemies oxe, or his asse going astray, thou shalt bring him to him againe.

“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 thine enemies asse lying vnder his burden, wilt thou cease to helpe him? thou shalt helpe him vp againe with it.

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

6 Thou shalt not ouerthrowe the right of thy poore in his sute.

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

7 Thou shalt keepe thee farre from a false matter, and shalt not slaye the innocent and the righteous: for I will not iustifie a wicked man.

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

8 Thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and peruerteth the wordes of the righteous.

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

9 Thou shalt not oppresse a stranger: for ye knowe the heart of a stranger, seeing yee were strangers 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 Moreouer, sixe yeres thou shalt sowe thy land, and gather the fruites thereof,

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

11 But the seuenth yeere thou shalt let it rest and lie still, that the poore of thy people may eat, and what they leaue, the beastes of the fielde shall eate. In like maner thou shalt doe with thy vineyard, and with thine oliue trees.

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 Sixe dayes thou shalt do thy worke, and in the seuenth day thou shalt rest, that thine oxe, and thine asse may rest, and the sonne of thy maide and the stranger 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 ye shall take heede to all things that I haue sayde vnto you: and ye shall make no mention of the name of other gods, neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth.

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

14 Three times thou shalt keepe a feast vnto me in the yeere.

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

15 Thou shalt keepe the feast of vnleauened bread: thou shalt eate vnleauened bread seue dayes, as I commanded thee, in the season of the moneth of Abib: for in it thou camest out of Egypt: and none shall appeare before me emptie:

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 The feast also of the haruest of the first fruites of thy labours, which thou hast sowen in the fielde: and the feast of gathering fruites in the ende of the yere, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the fielde.

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 These three times in the yeere shall all thy men children appeare before the Lord Iehouah.

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

18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leauened bread: neyther shall the fatte of my sacrifice remayne vntill 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 fruites of thy lande thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God: yet shalt thou not seeth a kid in his mothers milke.

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

20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keepe thee in the way, and to bring thee to the place which I haue 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 Beware of him, and heare his voyce, and prouoke him not: for he will not spare your misdeedes, because my name is in him.

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

22 But if thou hearken vnto his voyce, and do all that I speake, the I wil be an enemie vnto thine enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee.

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 mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee vnto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hiuites, and the Iebusites, and I will destroy them.

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 shalt not bow downe to their gods, neither serue them, nor doe after the workes of them: but vtterly ouerthrowe them, and breake in pieces their images.

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 For ye shall serue the Lord your God, and he shall blesse thy bread and thy water, and I will take all sickenes away from the middes of thee.

You shall serve the LORD 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 their fruite nor be baren in thy lande: the number of thy dayes will I fulfill.

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

27 I will send my feare before thee, and will destroy all the people among whome thou shalt go: and I will make all thine enemies turne their backes vnto 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 sende hornets before thee, which shall driue out the Hiuites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from thy face.

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 cast them out from thy face in one yeere, least the land grow to a wildernes: and the beasts of the field multiplie 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 By litle and litle I will driue them out from thy face, vntill thou increase, and inherite the lande.

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

31 And I will make thy coastes from the red sea vnto the sea of the Philistims, and from the desert vnto the Riuer: for I will deliuer the inhabitants of the lande into your hande, and thou shalt driue them out from thy face.

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 shalt make no couenant with them, nor with their gods:

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

33 Neither shall they dwell in thy lande, least they make thee sinne against me: for if thou serue their gods, surely it shall be thy destruction.

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.”