New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Suppose a man enters into marriage with a woman, but she does not please him because he finds something objectionable about her, and so he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; she then leaves 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 and goes off to become another man's wife.
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And when she has gone away from him, she may become another man's wife.
3 Then suppose the second man dislikes her, writes her a bill of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house (or the second man who married her 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 her first husband, who sent her away, is not permitted to take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that would be abhorrent to the Lord, and you shall not bring guilt on the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession.
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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 When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be charged with any related duty. He shall be free at home one year, to be happy with the wife whom he has married.
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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 shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge.
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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 someone is caught kidnaping another Israelite, enslaving or selling the Israelite, then that kidnaper shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
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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 Guard against an outbreak of a leprous skin disease by being very careful; you shall carefully observe whatever the levitical priests instruct you, just as I have commanded 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 the Lord your God did to Miriam on your journey out of 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 your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge.
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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 shall wait outside, while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you.
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But keep outside till he comes out and gives it to you.
12 If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge.
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If he is a poor man, do not keep his property all night;
13 You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the Lord 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 shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns.
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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 shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.
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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 Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death.
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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 shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow's garment in pledge.
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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 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command 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 you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings.
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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 trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, 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 of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, 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; therefore I am commanding 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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.