Exodus 23

1 You shall not raise a false report: put not your hand with the wicked 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 You shall not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shall you speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

“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 you countenance a poor man in his cause.

You shall not favor a poor man in his cause.

4 If you meet your enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, you 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 you see the ass of him that hates you lying under his burden, and would forbear to help him, you shall surely help 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 You shall not wrest the judgment of your poor in his cause.

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

7 Keep you far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay you not: for I will not justify the wicked.

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

8 And you shall take no gift: for the gift blinds the wise, 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 Also you shall not oppress a stranger: for you know the heart of a stranger, seeing you 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 [Abode of slavery].

10 And six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in the fruits thereof:

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

11 But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still; that the poor of your people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard, and with your olive grove.

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 you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest: that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your handmaid, 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 in all things that I have said to you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth.

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

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

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

15 You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it you came out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty: )

You shall observe the festival of Matzah ·Unleavened bread·. Seven days you shall eat matzah ·unleavened bread·, as I enjoined you, at the time appointed in the first month Aviv ·Ripening grain (of a new crop), 1· (for in it you came out of Egypt [Abode of slavery]), and no one shall appear before me empty.

16 And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you have sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labors out of the field.

And the festival of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field; and the festival of in-gathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in the results of your labors out of the field.

17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the LORD God.

Three times in the year all your males shall appear before 'Adon Adonai [Lord Yahweh].

18 You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain 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 your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

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

20 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you 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 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

Pay attention to him, and sh'ma ·hear obey· his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your rebellious breaches of relationships, for my name is in him.

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

But if you sh'ma ·hear obey· sh'ma ·hear obey· his voice, and sh'ma ·hear obey· all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 For my Angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite [Descendants of Talkers], the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], the Perizzite [Descendant of Belonging to village], the Canaanite [Descendant of Humbled], the Hivite [Wicked], and the Jebusite [Descendants of Thresher]; and I will cut them off.

24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but you shall utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

You shall not hawa ·bow low, prostrate· to their deities, nor abad ·serve· them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars.

25 And you shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless your bread, and your water; and I will take sickness away from the middle of you.

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

26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in your land: the number of your days I will fulfill.

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

27 I will send my fear before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

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 hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you.

I will send the hornet before you, which will divorce and drive out the Hivite [Wicked], the Canaanite [Descendant of Humbled], and the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], from before you.

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

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

30 By little and little I will drive them out from before you, until you be increased, and inherit the land.

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

31 And I will set your bounds from the Red sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and you shall drive them out before you.

I will set your border from the Sea of Suf [Reed Sea] even to the sea of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)], and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall divorce them from before you.

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

You shall make no covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· with them, nor with their elohim ·deities·.

33 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.

They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin ·err (the standard goal)· against me, for if you abad ·serve· their deities, it will surely be a snare to you.”