Deuteronomy 24
1 When a man taketh a woman, and marrieth her, then shall it be, if she find not favour in his eyes, because he hath found in her some matter of shame, that he shall write her a scroll of divorcement, and put it into her hand, and shall send her forth, out of his house.
Should a man marry a woman, but then isn't pleased with her because he finds out something shameful about her, he is allowed to write out a certificate of divorce for her, give it to her, and send her out of his house.
2 And, when she cometh forth out of his house, then may she go her way, and become another man’s.
Suppose that after leaving his house, she goes marries another man,
3 But if the latter husband hate her, and write her a scroll of divorcement and put it into her hand, and send her away out of his house, —or, if the latter husband die, who had taken her to him to wife,
and suppose the second man also ends up hating her, writes out a certificate of divorce for her, gives it to her, and sends her out of his house—or he may happen to die.
4 then may her first husband who sent her away not again take her to become his wife after that she hath been defiled, for that were an abomination, before Yahweh, —lest thou bring sin upon the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee for an inheritance.
The first husband who divorced her is not permitted to marry her again after she was shamed, for that offends the Lord. You are not bring guilt upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
5 When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go forth to war, neither shall he be charged with any business, —free, shall he be for his own house one year, and shall rejoice with his wife whom he hath taken.
If a man has just got married, he is not to be sent to war or made to do any other duties. He is free to stay at home for one year and make his wife happy.
6 No man shall take in pledge a handmill, or an upper millstone, —for he would be taking life, in pledge.
Don't accept a pair of millstones, or even just an upper millstone, as security for a debt, because that would put the borrower's life in danger.
7 When a man is found stealing any person from among his brethren of the sons of Israel, and making merchandise of him, or selling him, then shall that thief die, so shalt thou consume the wicked thing out of thy midst.
Anyone caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite must be executed, whether the kidnapper makes him a slave or sells him. You must eliminate the evil from among you.
8 Take heed, in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do, —according to all that the priests the Levites shall direct you, as I have commanded them, so shall ye observe to do.
When it comes to infectious skin diseases, make sure you follow carefully all the instructions of the Levitical priests. Be careful to follow the orders I've given them.
9 Remember that which Yahweh thy God did to Miriam, —by the way, as ye came forth out of Egypt.
Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the journey out of Egypt.
10 When thou lendest thy neighbour a loan of anything, thou shalt not enter into his house to secure his pledge:
If you lend anything to someone, don't go into their house to take some kind of security.
11 outside, shalt thou stand, and the man to whom thou art lending, shall bring forth unto thee his pledge outside,
Stand outside while they go inside and bring the security out to you.
12 And, if he be a poor man, thou shalt not sleep in his pledge:
If he is a poor man he may give his cloak as security, but you must not keep it when you go to sleep.
13 thou shalt, restore, to him the pledge at the going in of the sun, so shall he sleep in his own mantle, and bless thee, —and, unto thee, shall it be righteousness before Yahweh thy God.
Make sure you give it back by sunset, so that he can sleep in his own cloak and thank you, and you will be counted as doing good by the Lord your God.
14 Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, —of thy brethren or of thy sojourners that are in thy land, within thy gates;
Don't mistreat a paid servant who is poor and needy, whether he's an Israelite or a foreigner living in one of your towns.
15 for his day, shalt thou give his hire neither shall the sun, go in upon it, for, poor, he is, and, unto it, is he lifting up his soul, —lest he cry out against thee, unto Yahweh, and it be, in thee a sin.
Pay his wages every day before sunset, because he is poor and is relying on them. If you don't he may complain to the Lord about you, and you will be found guilty of sin.
16 Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor shall sons, be put to death for fathers, —every man, for his own sin, shall he put to death.
Fathers are not to be executed because of their children, and children are not to be executed because of their fathers. Each person is to be executed because of their own sin.
17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the sojourner [or] the fatherless, —neither shalt thou take in pledge the garment of a widow;
Don't treat foreigners or orphans unjustly; don't take a widow's cloak as security.
18 so shalt thou remember that, a servant, becamest thou in Egypt, and that Yahweh thy God, redeemed thee, from thence, —therefore, am I commanding thee to do this thing.
Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord your God rescued you from that place. That's why I'm ordering you to do this.
19 When thou cuttest down thy harvest in thy field and forgettest a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not turn back to fetch it, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, shall it belong, —that Yahweh thy God, may bless thee, in all the Work of thy hands.
If when you're harvesting in your field you forget a sheaf there, don't go back for it. Leave it for the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do.
20 When thou beatest thine olive-tree, thou shalt not glean after thee, —to the sojourner to the fatherless and to the widow, shall it belong,
When you shake the olive trees to knock down the olives, don't go over the branches again. What's left is for the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows.
21 When thou cuttest off the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not go about picking after thee, —to the sojourner to the fatherless and to the widow, shall it belong:
When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, don't go over the vines again. What's left is for the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows.
22 so shalt thou remember that a servant, becamest thou in the land of Egypt, —therefore, am I commending thee to do this thing.
Remember you were once slaves in Egypt. That's why I'm ordering you to do this.
