Parallel Bible results for "exodus 23"

Exodus 23

Common English Bible CEB

1 Don't spread false rumors. Don't plot with evil people to act as a lying witness.

2 Don't take sides with important people to do wrong. When you act as a witness, don't stretch the truth to favor important people.

3 But don't privilege unimportant people in their lawsuits either.

4 When you happen to come upon your enemy's ox or donkey that has wandered off, you should bring it back to them.

5 When you see a donkey that belongs to someone who hates you and it's lying down under its load and you are inclined not to help set it free, you must help set it free.

6 Don't undermine the justice that your poor deserve in their lawsuits.

7 Stay away from making a false charge. Don't put an innocent person who is in the right to death, because I will not consider innocent those who do such evil.

8 Don't take a bribe, because a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

9 Don't oppress an immigrant. You know what it's like to be an immigrant, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt.

10 For six years you should plant crops on your land and gather in its produce.

11 But in the seventh year you should leave it alone and undisturbed so that the poor among your people may eat. What they leave behind, the wild animals may eat. You should do the same with your vineyard and your olive trees.

12 Do your work in six days. But on the seventh day you should rest so that your ox and donkey may rest, and even the child of your female slave and the immigrant may be refreshed.

13 Be careful to obey everything that I have said to you. Don't call on the names of other gods. Don't even mention them.

14 You should observe a festival for me three times a year.

15 Observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, as I commanded you. Eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because it was in that month that you came out of Egypt. No one should appear before me empty-handed.

16 Observe the Harvest Festival for the early produce of your crops that you planted in the field, and the Gathering Festival at the end of the year, when you gather your crop of fruit from the field.

17 All your males should appear three times a year before the LORD God.

18 Don't offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened. Don't let the fat of my festival offering be left over until the morning.

19 Bring the best of your land's early produce to the LORD your God's temple. Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

20 I'm about to send a messenger in front of you to guard you on your way and to bring you to the place that I've made ready.

21 Pay attention to him and do as he says. Don't rebel against him. He won't forgive the things you do wrong because I am with him.

22 But if you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, then I'll be an enemy to your enemies and fight those fighting you.

23 When my messenger goes in front of you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I wipe them out,

24 don't bow down to their gods, worship them, or do what they do. Instead, you should completely destroy them and smash their sacred stone pillars to bits.

25 If you worship the LORD your God, the LORD will bless your bread and your water. I'll take sickness away from you,

26 and no woman will miscarry or be infertile in your land. I'll let you live a full, long life.

27 My terrifying reputation will precede you, and I'll throw all the people that you meet into a panic. I'll make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

28 I'll send insect swarms in front of you and drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.

29 I won't drive them out before you in a single year so the land won't be abandoned and the wild animals won't multiply around you.

30 I'll drive them out before you little by little, until your numbers grow and you eventually possess the land.

31 I'll set your borders from the Reed Sea to the Philistine Sea and from the desert to the River. I'll hand the inhabitants of the land over to you, and you will drive them out before you.

32 Don't make any covenants with them or their gods.

33 Don't allow them to live in your land, or else they will lead you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, it will become a dangerous trap for you.

The Message Bible MSG

1 "Don't pass on malicious gossip.

2 Don't go along with the crowd in doing evil and don't fudge your testimony in a case just to please the crowd.

3 And just because someone is poor, don't show favoritism in a dispute.

4 "If you find your enemy's ox or donkey loose, take it back to him

5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, don't walk off and leave it. Help it up.

6 "When there is a dispute concerning your poor, don't tamper with the justice due them.

7 "Stay clear of false accusations. Don't contribute to the death of innocent and good people. I don't let the wicked off the hook.

8 "Don't take bribes. Bribes blind perfectly good eyes and twist the speech of good people.

9 "Don't take advantage of a stranger. You know what it's like to be a stranger; you were strangers in Egypt.

10 "Sow your land for six years and gather in its crops,

11 but in the seventh year leave it alone and give it a rest so that your poor may eat from it. What they leave, let the wildlife have. Do the same with your vineyards and olive groves.

12 "Work for six days and rest the seventh so your ox and donkey may rest and your servant and migrant workers may have time to get their needed rest.

13 "Listen carefully to everything I tell you. Don't pay attention to other gods - don't so much as mention their names.

14 "Three times a year you are to hold a festival for me

15 "Hold the spring Festival of Unraised Bread when you eat unraised bread for seven days at the time set for the month of Abib, as I commanded you. That was the month you came out of Egypt. No one should show up before me empty-handed.

16 "Hold the summer Festival of Harvest when you bring in the firstfruits of all your work in the fields. "Hold the autumn Festival of Ingathering at the end of the season when you bring in the year's crops.

17 "Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Master, God.

18 "Don't offer the blood of a sacrifice to me with anything that has yeast in it. "Don't leave the fat from my festival offering out overnight.

19 "Bring the choice first produce of the year to the house of your God. "Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk

20 "Now get yourselves ready. I'm sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I've prepared.

21 Pay close attention to him. Obey him. Don't go against him. He won't put up with your rebellions because he's acting on my authority

22 But if you obey him and do everything I tell you, I'll be an enemy to your enemies, I'll fight those who fight you.

23 When my Angel goes ahead of you and leads you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, I'll clear the country of them.

24 So don't worship or serve their gods; don't do anything they do because I'm going to wipe them right off the face of the Earth and smash their sacred phallic pillars to bits.

25 "But you - you serve your God and he'll bless your food and your water. I'll get rid of the sickness among you;

26 there won't be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I'll make sure you live full and complete lives.

27 "I'll send my Terror on ahead of you and throw those peoples you're approaching into a panic. All you'll see of your enemies is the backs of their necks.

28 "And I'll send Despair on ahead of you. It will push the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites out of your way.

29 I won't get rid of them all at once lest the land grow up in weeds and the wild animals take over.

30 Little by little I'll get them out of there while you have a chance to get your crops going and make the land your own.

31 I will make your borders stretch from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Wilderness to the Euphrates River. I'm turning everyone living in that land over to you; go ahead and drive them out.

32 "Don't make any deals with them or their gods.

33 They are not to stay in the same country with you lest they get you to sin by worshiping their gods. Beware. That's a huge danger."