Exodus 23:1-9

“Don’t tell lies against other people. If you are a witness in court, don’t agree to help a bad person tell lies. “Don’t do something just because everyone else is doing it. If you see a group of people doing wrong, don’t join them. You must not let them persuade you to do wrong things—you must do what is right and fair. “In court, don’t treat a person in a special way simply because that person is poor. “If you see a lost bull or donkey, then you must return it to its owner—even if the owner is your enemy. “If you see an animal that cannot walk because it has too much to carry, you must stop and help that animal. You must help that animal even if it belongs to one of your enemies. “In court, don’t let anyone take advantage of a person simply because that person is poor. “Be very careful if you say that someone is guilty of something. Don’t make false charges against a person. Never allow innocent people to be killed as punishment for something they did not do. Whoever kills an innocent person is evil, and I will not treat a guilty person as innocent. “If someone tries to pay you to agree with them when they are wrong, don’t accept that payment. A payment like that can blind judges so that they cannot see the truth. It can make good people tell lies. “You must never do wrong things to a foreigner. Remember, you know what it is like to be a foreigner because at one time you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.