The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "Suppose a man marries a woman and consummates the marriage but later finds her displeasing, because he has found her offensive in some respect. He writes her a divorce document, gives it to her and sends her away from his house.
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If a man takes a wife, and after they are married she is unpleasing to him because of some bad quality in her, let him give her a statement in writing and send her away from his house.
2 She leaves his house, goes and becomes another man's wife;
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And when she has gone away from him, she may become another man's wife.
3 but the second husband dislikes her and writes her a get, gives it to her and sends her away from his house; or the second husband whom she married dies.
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And if the second husband has no love for her and, giving her a statement in writing, sends her away; or if death comes to the second husband to whom she was married;
4 In such a case her first husband, who sent her away, may not take her again as his wife, because she is now defiled. It would be detestable to ADONAI, and you are not to bring about sin in the land ADONAI your God is giving you as your inheritance.
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Her first husband, who had sent her away, may not take her back after she has been wife to another; for that is disgusting to the Lord: and you are not to be a cause of sin in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.
5 "If a man has recently married his wife, he is not to be subject to military service; he is to be free of external obligations and left at home for one year to make his new wife happy.
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A newly married man will not have to go out with the army or undertake any business, but may be free for one year, living in his house for the comfort of his wife.
6 "No one may take a mill or even an upper millstone as collateral for a loan, because that would be taking as collateral the debtor's very means of sustenance.
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No one is to take, on account of a debt, the stones with which grain is crushed: for in doing so he takes a man's living.
7 "If a man kidnaps any of his brothers, fellow members of the community of Isra'el, and makes him his slave or sells him, that kidnapper must die; in this way you will put an end to such wickedness among you.
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If a man takes by force one of his countrymen, the children of Israel, using him as his property or getting a price for him, that thief is to be put to death: so you are to put away evil from among you.
8 "When there is an outbreak of tzara'at, be careful to observe and do just what the cohanim, who are L'vi'im, teach you. Take care to do as I ordered them.
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In connection with the leper's disease, take care to keep and do every detail of the teaching of the priests, the Levites: as I gave them orders, so you are to do.
9 Remember what ADONAI your God did to Miryam on the road after you left Egypt.
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Keep in mind what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way, when you came out of Egypt.
10 "When you make any kind of loan to your neighbor, you are not to enter his house to take his collateral.
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If you let your brother have the use of anything which is yours, do not go into his house and take anything of his as a sign of his debt;
11 You must stand outside, and the borrower will bring the collateral outside to you.
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But keep outside till he comes out and gives it to you.
12 If he is poor, you are not to go to bed with what he gave as collateral in your possession;
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If he is a poor man, do not keep his property all night;
13 rather, you must restore the pledged item at sunset; then he will go to sleep wearing his garment and bless you. This will be an upright deed of yours before ADONAI your God.
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But be certain to give it back to him when the sun goes down, so that he may have his clothing for sleeping in, and will give you his blessing: and this will be put to your account as righteousness before the Lord your God.
14 "You are not to exploit a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether one of your brothers or a foreigner living in your land in your town.
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Do not be hard on a servant who is poor and in need, if he is one of your countrymen or a man from another nation living with you in your land.
15 You are to pay him his wages the day he earns them, before sunset; for he is poor and looks forward to being paid. Otherwise he will cry out against you to ADONAI, and it will be your sin.
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Give him his payment day by day, not keeping it back over night; for he is poor and his living is dependent on it; and if his cry against you comes to the ears of the Lord, it will be judged as sin in you.
16 "Fathers are not to be executed for the children, nor are children to be executed for the fathers; every person will be executed for his own sin.
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Fathers are not to be put to death for their children or children for their fathers: every man is to be put to death for the sin which he himself has done.
17 "You are not to deprive the foreigner or the orphan of the justice which is his due, and you are not to take a widow's clothing as collateral for a loan.
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Be upright in judging the cause of the man from a strange country and of him who has no father; do not take a widow's clothing on account of a debt:
18 Rather, remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and ADONAI your God redeemed you from there. That is why I am ordering you to do this.
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But keep in mind that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God made you free: for this is why I give you orders to do this.
19 "When harvesting the grain in your field, if you forgot a sheaf of grain there, you are not to go back and get it; it will remain there for the foreigner, the orphan and the widow, so that ADONAI your God will bless you in all the work you do.
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When you get in the grain from your field, if some of the grain has been dropped by chance in the field, do not go back and get it, but let it be for the man from a strange land, the child without a father, and the widow: so that the blessing of the Lord your God may be on all the work of your hands.
20 When you beat your olive tree, you are not to go back over the branches again; the olives that are left will be for the foreigner, the orphan and the widow.
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When you are shaking the fruit from your olive-trees, do not go over the branches a second time: let some be for the man from a strange land, the child without a father, and the widow.
21 When you gather the grapes from your vineyard, you are not to return and pick grapes a second time; what is left will be for the foreigner, the orphan and the widow.
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When you are pulling the grapes from your vines, do not take up those which have been dropped; let them be for the man from a strange land, the child without a father, and the widow.
22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. That is why I am ordering you to do this.
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Keep in mind that you were a servant in the land of Egypt: for this is why I give you orders to do this.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.