Exodus 23

1 non suscipies vocem mendacii nec iunges manum tuam ut pro impio dicas falsum testimonium

“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.

2 non sequeris turbam ad faciendum malum nec in iudicio plurimorum adquiesces sententiae ut a vero devies

You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.

3 pauperis quoque non misereberis in negotio

And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

4 si occurreris bovi inimici tui aut asino erranti reduc ad eum

If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

5 si videris asinum odientis te iacere sub onere non pertransibis sed sublevabis cum eo

If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

6 non declinabis in iudicio pauperis

You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.

7 mendacium fugies insontem et iustum non occides quia aversor impium

Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.

8 nec accipias munera quae excaecant etiam prudentes et subvertunt verba iustorum

Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

9 peregrino molestus non eris scitis enim advenarum animas quia et ipsi peregrini fuistis in terra Aegypti

Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

10 sex annis seminabis terram tuam et congregabis fruges eius

For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce,

11 anno autem septimo dimittes eam et requiescere facies ut comedant pauperes populi tui et quicquid reliqui fuerit edant bestiae agri ita facies in vinea et in oliveto tuo

but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.

12 sex diebus operaberis septima die cessabis ut requiescat bos et asinus tuus et refrigeretur filius ancillae tuae et advena

For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.

13 omnia quae dixi vobis custodite et per nomen externorum deorum non iurabitis neque audietur ex ore vestro

Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.

14 tribus vicibus per singulos annos mihi festa celebrabitis

Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.

15 sollemnitatem azymorum custodies septem diebus comedes azyma sicut praecepi tibi tempore mensis novorum quando egressus es de Aegypto non apparebis in conspectu meo vacuus

You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before Me empty-handed.

16 et sollemnitatem messis primitivorum operis tui quaecumque serueris in agro sollemnitatem quoque in exitu anni quando congregaveris omnes fruges tuas de agro

You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.

17 ter in anno apparebit omne masculinum tuum coram Domino Deo

Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.

18 non immolabis super fermento sanguinem victimae meae nec remanebit adeps sollemnitatis meae usque mane

You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning.

19 primitias frugum terrae tuae deferes in domum Domini Dei tui nec coques hedum in lacte matris suae

Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

20 ecce ego mittam angelum meum qui praecedat te et custodiat in via et introducat ad locum quem paravi

Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.

21 observa eum et audi vocem eius nec contemnendum putes quia non dimittet cum peccaveritis et est nomen meum in illo

Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.

22 quod si audieris vocem eius et feceris omnia quae loquor inimicus ero inimicis tuis et adfligam adfligentes te

But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

23 praecedetque te angelus meus et introducet te ad Amorreum et Hettheum et Ferezeum Chananeumque et Eveum et Iebuseum quos ego contribo

For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.

24 non adorabis deos eorum nec coles eos non facies opera eorum sed destrues eos et confringes statuas eorum

You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.

25 servietisque Domino Deo vestro ut benedicam panibus tuis et aquis et auferam infirmitatem de medio tui

So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you.

26 non erit infecunda nec sterilis in terra tua numerum dierum tuorum implebo

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

27 terrorem meum mittam in praecursum tuum et occidam omnem populum ad quem ingredieris cunctorumque inimicorum tuorum coram te terga vertam

I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.

28 emittens crabrones prius qui fugabunt Eveum et Chananeum et Hettheum antequam introeas

I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.

29 non eiciam eos a facie tua anno uno ne terra in solitudinem redigatur et crescant contra te bestiae

I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you.

30 paulatim expellam eos de conspectu tuo donec augearis et possideas terram

Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.

31 ponam autem terminos tuos a mari Rubro usque ad mare Palestinorum et a deserto usque ad Fluvium tradam manibus vestris habitatores terrae et eiciam eos de conspectu vestro

And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.

32 non inibis cum eis foedus nec cum diis eorum

You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

33 non habitent in terra tua ne forte peccare te faciant in me si servieris diis eorum quod tibi certo erit in scandalum

They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”