שמות 23

1 לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא אַל־תָּשֶׁת יָֽדְךָ עִם־רָשָׁע לִהְיֹת עֵד חָמָֽס׃

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

2 לֹֽא־תִהְיֶה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּים לְרָעֹת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶה עַל־רִב לִנְטֹת אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְהַטֹּֽת׃

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

3 וְדָל לֹא תֶהְדַּר בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃

You shall not favor a poor man in his cause.

4 כִּי תִפְגַּע שׁוֹר אֹֽיִבְךָ אוֹ חֲמֹרוֹ תֹּעֶה הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לֽוֹ׃

“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.

5 כִּֽי־תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ רֹבֵץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ מֵעֲזֹב לוֹ עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב עִמּֽוֹ׃

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 לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃

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

7 מִדְּבַר־שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק וְנָקִי וְצַדִּיק אַֽל־תַּהֲרֹג כִּי לֹא־אַצְדִּיק רָשָֽׁע׃

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

8 וְשֹׁחַד לֹא תִקָּח כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר פִּקְחִים וִֽיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִֽים׃

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

9 וְגֵר לֹא תִלְחָץ וְאַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ הַגֵּר כִּֽי־גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

“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 וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע אֶת־אַרְצֶךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

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

11 וְהַשְּׁבִיעִת תִּשְׁמְטֶנָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּהּ וְאָֽכְלוּ אֶבְיֹנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְיִתְרָם תֹּאכַל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה כֵּֽן־תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכַרְמְךָ לְזֵיתֶֽךָ׃

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 שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי תִּשְׁבֹּת לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ שֽׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרֶךָ וְיִנָּפֵשׁ בֶּן־אֲמָתְךָ וְהַגֵּֽר׃

“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 וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עַל־פִּֽיךָ׃

“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 שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים תָּחֹג לִי בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃

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

15 אֶת־חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִךָ לְמוֹעֵד חֹדֶשׁ הָֽאָבִיב כִּי־בוֹ יָצָאתָ מִמִּצְרָיִם וְלֹא־יֵרָאוּ פָנַי רֵיקָֽם׃

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 וְחַג הַקָּצִיר בִּכּוּרֵי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע בַּשָּׂדֶה וְחַג הָֽאָסִף בְּצֵאת הַשָּׁנָה בְּאׇסְפְּךָ אֶֽת־מַעֲשֶׂיךָ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

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 שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כׇּל־זְכוּרְךָ אֶל־פְּנֵי הָאָדֹן ׀ יְהֹוָֽה׃

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

18 לֹֽא־תִזְבַּח עַל־חָמֵץ דַּם־זִבְחִי וְלֹֽא־יָלִין חֵֽלֶב־חַגִּי עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃

“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 רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּֽוֹ׃

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 הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמׇרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ וְלַהֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הֲכִנֹֽתִי׃

“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 הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו וּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ אַל־תַּמֵּר בּוֹ כִּי לֹא יִשָּׂא לְפִשְׁעֲכֶם כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

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 כִּי אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ וְעָשִׂיתָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר וְאָֽיַבְתִּי אֶת־אֹיְבֶיךָ וְצַרְתִּי אֶת־צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃

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 כִּֽי־יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָכִי לְפָנֶיךָ וֶהֱבִֽיאֲךָ אֶל־הָֽאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהִכְחַדְתִּֽיו׃

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 לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם וְלֹא תׇֽעׇבְדֵם וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי הָרֵס תְּהָרְסֵם וְשַׁבֵּר תְּשַׁבֵּר מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

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 וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם וּבֵרַךְ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת־מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃

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 לֹא תִהְיֶה מְשַׁכֵּלָה וַעֲקָרָה בְּאַרְצֶךָ אֶת־מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּֽא׃

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

27 אֶת־אֵֽימָתִי אֲשַׁלַּח לְפָנֶיךָ וְהַמֹּתִי אֶת־כׇּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹא בָּהֶם וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־כׇּל־אֹיְבֶיךָ אֵלֶיךָ עֹֽרֶף׃

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 וְשָׁלַחְתִּי אֶת־הַצִּרְעָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְגֵרְשָׁה אֶת־הַחִוִּי אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי וְאֶת־הַחִתִּי מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ׃

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 לֹא אֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ בְּשָׁנָה אֶחָת פֶּן־תִּהְיֶה הָאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה וְרַבָּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

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 מְעַט מְעַט אֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר תִּפְרֶה וְנָחַלְתָּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

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

31 וְשַׁתִּי אֶת־גְּבֻלְךָ מִיַּם־סוּף וְעַד־יָם פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמִמִּדְבָּר עַד־הַנָּהָר כִּי ׀ אֶתֵּן בְּיֶדְכֶם אֵת יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ וְגֵרַשְׁתָּמוֹ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃

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 לֹֽא־תִכְרֹת לָהֶם וְלֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם בְּרִֽית׃

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

33 לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאַרְצְךָ פֶּן־יַחֲטִיאוּ אֹתְךָ לִי כִּי תַעֲבֹד אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה לְךָ לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃

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.”