Deuteronomy 24

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it shall come to pass that she findeth no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand, and send her 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 hath departed from his house, she may go and be another man's [wife].

Suppose that after leaving his house, she goes marries another man,

3 And [if] the latter husband shall hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand, and send her out of his house; or if the latter husband shall die, who took her [to be] his 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 Her former husband who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that [is] abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth 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 hath newly taken a wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: [but] he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife which 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 the nether or the upper millstone for a pledge: for he taketh [a man's] life for a 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 If a man shall be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and shall make merchandise of him, or sell him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt remove evil from among you.

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 teach you: as I commanded them, [so] ye shall 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 what the LORD thy God did to Miriam by the way, after that ye come forth from Egypt.

Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the journey out of Egypt.

10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to take his pledge:

If you lend anything to someone, don't go into their house to take some kind of security.

11 Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad to thee:

Stand outside while they go inside and bring the security out to you.

12 And if the man [is] poor, thou shalt not sleep with 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 In any case thou shalt deliver to him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee; and it shall be righteousness to thee before the LORD 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, [whether he is] of thy brethren, or of thy strangers 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 At his day thou shalt give [him] his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it, for he [is] poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he should cry against thee to the LORD, and it be sin to thee.

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

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 stranger, [nor] of the fatherless, nor take a widow's raiment for a pledge:

Don't treat foreigners or orphans unjustly; don't take a widow's cloak as security.

18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bond-man in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command 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 hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD 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 thy olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

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 gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean [it] afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

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 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bond-man in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Remember you were once slaves in Egypt. That's why I'm ordering you to do this.