Who Cannot Become One of the Lord's People
Moses said to Israel:
1 If a man's private parts have been crushed or cut off, he cannot fully belong to the Lord's people.
2 No one born outside of a legal marriage, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can fully belong to the Lord's people.
3 No Ammonites or Moabites, or any of their descendants for ten generations, can become part of Israel, the Lord's people. 4 This is because when you came out of Egypt, they refused to provide you with food and water. And besides, they hired Balaam to put a curse on you. 5 But the Lord your God loves you, so he refused to listen to Balaam and turned Balaam's curse into a blessing. 6 Don't even think of signing a peace treaty with Moab or Ammon.
7 But Edomites are your relatives, and you lived as foreigners in the country of Egypt. Now you must be kind to Edomites and Egyptians 8 and let their great-grandchildren become part of Israel, the Lord's people.
Keep the Army Camp Acceptable
Moses said to Israel:
9 When you men go off to fight your enemies, make sure your camp is acceptable to the Lord.
10 For example, if something happens at night that makes a man unclean and unfit for worship, he must go outside the camp and stay there 11 until late afternoon. Then he must take a bath, and at sunset he can go back into camp.
12 Set up a place outside the camp to be used as a toilet area. 13 And make sure that you have a small shovel in your equipment. When you go out to the toilet area, use the shovel to dig a hole. Then, after you relieve yourself, bury the waste in the hole. 14 You must keep your camp clean of filthy and disgusting things. The Lord is always present in your camp, ready to rescue you and give you victory over your enemies. But if he sees something disgusting in your camp, he may turn around and leave.
Runaway Slaves from Other Countries
Moses said:
15 When runaway slaves from other countries come to Israel and ask for protection, you must not hand them back to their owners. 16 Instead, you must let them choose which one of your towns they want to live in. Don't be cruel to runaway slaves.
Temple Prostitutes
Moses said:
17 People of Israel, don't any of you ever be temple prostitutes. 18 The Lord your God is disgusted with men and women who are prostitutes of any kind, and he will not accept a gift from them, even if it had been promised to him.
Interest on Loans
Moses said:
19 When you lend money, food, or anything else to another Israelite, you are not allowed to charge interest. 20 You can charge a foreigner interest. But if you charge other Israelites interest, the Lord your God will not let you be successful in the land you are about to take.
Sacred Promises to the Lord
Moses said:
21 People of Israel, if you make a sacred promise to give a gift to the Lord, then do it as soon as you can. If the Lord has to come looking for the gift you promised, you will be guilty of breaking that promise. 22 On the other hand, if you never make a sacred promise, you can't be guilty of breaking it. 23 You must keep whatever promises you make to the Lord. After all, you are the one who chose to make the promises.
Eating Someone Else's Produce
24 If you go into a vineyard that belongs to someone else, you are allowed to eat as many grapes as you want while you are there. But don't take any with you when you leave. 25 In the same way, if you are in a grain field that belongs to someone else, you can pick heads of grain and eat the kernels. But don't cut down the stalks of grain and take them with you.
1 None that is hurt by bursting, or that hath his priuie member cut off, shall enter into the Congregation of the Lord. 2 A bastard shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord: euen to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the Congregation of the Lord. 3 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord: euen to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the Congregation of the Lord for euer, 4 Because they met you not with bread and water in the way, when yee came out of Egypt, and because they hyred against thee Balaam the sonne of Beor, of Pethor in Aram-naharaim, to curse thee. 5 Neuerthelesse, the Lord thy God would not hearken vnto Balaam, but the Lord thy God turned the curse to a blessing vnto thee, because the Lord thy God loued thee. 6 Thou shalt not seeke their peace nor their prosperitie all thy dayes for euer. 7 Thou shalt not abhorre an Edomite: for he is thy brother, neither shalt thou abhorre an Egyptian, because thou wast a strager in his land. 8 The children that are begotten of them in their thirde generation, shall enter into the Congregation of the Lord. 9 When thou goest out with the host against thine enemies, keepe thee then from all wickednesse. 10 If there be among you any that is vncleane by that which commeth to him by night, he shall goe out of the hoste, and shall not enter into the hoste, 11 But at euen he shall wash him selfe with water, and when the sunne is downe, he shall enter into the hoste. 12 Thou shalt haue a place also without the hoste whither thou shalt resort, 13 And thou shalt haue a paddle among thy weapons, and when thou wouldest sit downe without, thou shalt shalt digge therewith, and returning thou shalt couer thine excrements. 14 For the Lord thy God walketh in the mids of thy campe to deliuer thee, and to giue thee thine enemies before thee: therefore thine hoste shalbe holy, that he see no filthie thing in thee and turne away from thee. 15 Thou shalt not deliuer the seruant vnto his master, which is escaped from his master vnto thee. 16 He shall dwell with thee, euen among you, in what place he shall chuse, in one of thy cities where it liketh him best: thou shalt not vexe him. 17 There shalbe no whore of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a whore keeper of the sonnes of Israel. 18 Thou shalt neyther bring the hyre of a whore, nor the price of a dogge into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for euen both these are abomination vnto the Lord thy God. 19 Thou shalt not giue to vsurie to thy brother: as vsurie of money, vsurie of meate, vsurie of any thing that is put to vsurie. 20 Vnto a stranger thou mayest lend vpon vsurie, but thou shalt not lend vpon vsurie vnto thy brother, that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all that thou settest thine hand to, in the land whither thou goest to possesse it. 21 When thou shalt vowe a vowe vnto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not be slacke to paye it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and so it should be sinne vnto thee. 22 But when thou absteinest from vowing, it shalbe no sinne vnto thee. 23 That which is gone out of thy lippes, thou shalt keepe and performe, as thou hast vowed it willingly vnto the Lord thy God: for thou hast spoken it with thy mouth. 24 When thou commest vnto thy neighbours vineyard, then thou mayest eate grapes at thy pleasure, as much as thou wilt: but thou shalt put none in thy vessell. 25 When thou commest into thy neighbours corne thou mayest plucke the eares with thine hand, but thou shalt not moue a sickle to thy neighbours corne.