Deuteronomy 24

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass, that if she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some scandalous thing in her, he may write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her away 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 she shall depart out of his house; and if she go and become another man's wife;

Then suppose that she goes and marries another man,

3 And the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her away out of his house; or if the latter husband, who took her as his wife, should die:

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 Then shall her former husband, who had sent her away, not be at liberty to take her again to be his wife, after she hath been defiled; for it is abomination before the Lord; and thou shalt not bring sin upon the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

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 taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any public business: he shall be free for his house one year, and shall cheer up his wife whom he hath taken.

“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 No man shall take to pledge the nether or the upper millstone; for he taketh a man's life to pledge.

“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 a man be found stealing any one of his brethren of the children of Israel, and he treateth him as a slave, and selleth him: then shall that thief die; and thou shalt put the evil away 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 Take heed of the plague of leprosy, to observe diligently, and to do according to all that the priests, the Levites, may instruct you; as I have commanded them, so shall ye observe to do.

“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 thy God did unto Miriam on the journey, at your coming forth 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 dost lend thy brother any thing as a loan, thou shalt not go into his house to take his 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 In the street shalt thou stand, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out unto thee the pledge into the street.

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

12 And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not lie down with his pledge:

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

13 Thou shalt punctually deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may lie under his own cover, and bless thee; and unto thee shall it be as righteousness 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 withhold the wages of a hired man, of the poor and needy, [whether he be] of thy brethren, or of the strangers that are in thy land 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 On the same day shalt thou give him his wages, that the sun may not go down upon it; for he is poor, and his soul longeth for it; so that he may not cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin in thee.

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 Fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall children be put to death for the fathers: for his own sin shall every man be put to death.

“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 cause of the stranger, or of the fatherless; and thou shalt not take in pledge the raiment of a widow;

“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 But thou shalt remember that thou waste a bond-man in Egypt, and that the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence; therefore do 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 cuttest down thy harvest in thy field, and forgettest a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go back to fetch it; for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow shall it be; in order that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work 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 When thou beatest thy olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again; for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow shall it be.

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 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean the small fruit afterward; for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow shall it be.

[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 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bond-man in the land of Egypt; therefore do 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].”