Exodus 23
23
1“Don’t tell lies against other people. If you are a witness in court, don’t agree to help a bad person tell lies.
2“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.
3“In court, don’t treat a person in a special way simply because that person is poor.
4“If you see a lost bull or donkey, then you must return it to its owner—even if the owner is your enemy.
5“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.
6“In court, don’t let anyone take advantage of a person simply because that person is poor.
7“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.
8“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.
9“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.
The Special Festivals
10“Plant seeds, harvest your crops, and work the ground for six years. 11But the seventh year must be a special time of rest for the land. Don’t plant anything in your fields. If any crops grow there, allow the poor to have it. And allow the wild animals to eat the food that is left. You should do the same with your vineyards and with your fields of olive trees.
12“Work for six days, but on the seventh day, rest! This will allow your slaves and other workers a time to rest and relax. And your bulls and donkeys will also have a time of rest.
13“Be sure that you obey all these laws. Don’t worship false gods. You should not even speak their names!
14“You will have three special festivals each year. You must come to my special place to worship me during these festivals. 15The first festival is the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This is as I commanded you. During this time you will eat bread that is made without yeast. This will continue for seven days. You will do this during the month of Abib, because this is the time when you came out of Egypt. Everyone must bring a sacrifice to me at that time.
16“The second festival will be the Festival of Harvest. This festival will be during the early summer when you begin harvesting the first crops that you planted in your fields.
“The third festival will be the Festival of Shelters. This will be in the fall, when you finish gathering the rest of the crops from your fields.
17“So three times each year all the men will come to the special place to be with the Lord GOD.
18“When you kill an animal and offer its blood as a sacrifice, you must not include anything that has yeast in it. And when you burn the fat from my sacrifice, don’t let any of it remain until morning.
19“When you gather your crops at harvest time, you should bring the first of everything you harvest to the house#23:19 house The “Holy Tent” where the people went to meet with God. See Ex. 25:8, 9. of the Lord your God.
“You must not eat the meat from a young goat that is boiled in its mother’s milk.”
God Will Help Israel Take Their Land
20“I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to lead you to the place that I have prepared for you. 21Obey the angel and follow him. Be careful in his presence, and don’t rebel against him. The angel will not forgive the wrong things you do to him. He has my power#23:21 my power Literally, “my name.” in him. 22If you listen to what he says and do everything I tell you, then I will be an enemy to all of your enemies. I will be against everyone who is against you.
23“My angel will lead you through the land. He will lead you against many different people—the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. But I will defeat all of them.
24“Don’t worship their gods. Don’t ever bow down to those gods. You must never live the way those people live. You must destroy their idols. And you must break the stones that help them remember their gods.#23:24 stones … gods Or “memorials.” Here, these were stone markers that people used in worshiping their gods. 25You must serve the Lord your God. If you do this, I will bless you with plenty of bread and water. I will take away all sickness from you. 26Your women will all be able to have babies. None of their babies will die at birth. And I will allow you to live long lives.
27“When you fight against your enemies, I will send my great power before you.#23:27 When you fight … you Or “News of my power will go before you, and your enemies will be frightened.” I will help you defeat all your enemies. The people who are against you will become confused in battle and run away. 28I will send the hornet#23:28 hornet A stinging insect like a large wasp or bee. Here, it might mean “God’s angel” or “his great power.” in front of you. He will force your enemies to leave. The Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites will leave your country. 29But I will not force all of them out of your land quickly. I will not do this in only one year. The land will be empty if I force the people out too fast. Then all the wild animals would increase and control the land. And they would be much trouble for you. 30So I will force them out of your land very slowly. I will do this as you grow and eventually take the land to be your own.
31“I will give you all the land from the Red Sea#23:31 Red Sea Or “Reed Sea,” probably the part known as the Gulf of Aqaba. See 1 Kings 9:26. to the Mediterranean Sea,#23:31 Mediterranean Sea Literally, “Philistine Sea.” and from the desert of Sinai to the Euphrates River. I will let you defeat the people living there and force them all to leave.
32“You must not make any agreements with any of those people or their gods. 33Don’t let them stay in your country. If you let them stay, they will be like a trap to you—they will cause you to sin against me. And you will begin worshiping their gods.”
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Exodus 23: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Exodus 23
23
Laws About Mercy and Fairness
1“Do not spread reports that are false. Do not help a guilty person by telling lies in court.
2“Do not follow the crowd when they do what is wrong. When you are a witness in court, do not turn what is right into what is wrong. Do not go along with the crowd. 3Do not show favor to a poor person in court.
4“Suppose you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away. Then be sure to return it. 5Suppose you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has fallen down under its load. Then do not leave it there. Be sure you help them with it.
6“Be fair to your poor people in their court cases. 7Do not have anything to do with a false charge. Do not put to death people not guilty of doing anything wrong. I will not let guilty people go free.
8“Do not take money from people who want special favors. It makes you blind to the truth. It twists the words of good people.
9“Do not treat outsiders badly. You yourselves know how it feels to be outsiders. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt.
Sabbath Laws
10“For six years plant your fields and gather your crops. 11But during the seventh year do not plow your land or use it. Then the poor people among you can get food from it. The wild animals can eat what is left over. Do the same thing with your vineyards and your groves of olive trees.
12“Do all your work in six days. But do not do any work on the seventh day. Then your oxen and donkeys can rest. The slaves born in your house can be renewed. And so can the outsiders who live among you.
13“Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not speak the names of other gods. Do not even let them be heard on your lips.
Laws About Celebrating the Three Main Feasts
14“Three times a year you must celebrate a feast in my honor.
15“Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days, eat bread made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Do it at the appointed time in the month of Aviv. You came out of Egypt in that month.
“You must not come to worship me with your hands empty.
16“Celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Bring the first share of your crops from your fields.
“Celebrate the Feast of Booths. Hold it in the fall when you gather in your crops from your fields.
17“Three times a year all your men must come to worship me. I am your Lord and King.
18“Do not include anything made with yeast when you offer me the blood of a sacrifice.
“Suppose the fat from sacrifices is left over from my feasts. Then do not keep it until morning.
19“Bring the best of the first share of your crops to my house. I am the Lord your God.
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
God’s Angel Will Prepare the Way
20“I am sending an angel ahead of you. He will guard you along the way. He will bring you to the place I have prepared. 21Pay attention to him. Listen to what he says. Do not refuse to obey him. He will not forgive you if you turn against him. He has my full authority. 22Listen carefully to what he says. Do everything I say. Then I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will fight against those who fight against you. 23My angel will go ahead of you. He will bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites. I will wipe them out. 24Do not do what they do. Do not bow down to their gods or worship them. You must destroy the statues of their gods. You must break their sacred stones to pieces. 25Worship the Lord your God. Then he will bless your food and water. I, the Lord, will take away any sickness you may have. 26In your land no woman will give birth to a dead baby. Every woman will be able to have children. I will give you a long life.
27“I will send my terror ahead of you. I will throw every nation you meet into a panic. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run away. 28I will send hornets ahead of you. They will drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29But I will not drive them out in just one year. If I did, the land would be deserted. There would be too many wild animals for you. 30I will drive them out ahead of you little by little. I will do that until there are enough of you to take control of the land.
31“I will make your borders secure from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. They will go from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land. You will drive them out to make room for yourselves. 32Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. 33Do not let them live in your land. If you do, they will cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, that will certainly be a trap for you.”
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