Deuteronomy 24

Law of Divorce

1“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens, if she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some 1indecency in her, that 2he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and 3sends her away from his house, 2and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3and the latter husband 4turns against her, writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand, and 5sends her away from his house, or if the latter husband who took her to be his wife dies, 4then her 6former husband who 7sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, after 8she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

5“9When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army, nor be assigned any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall 10make his wife whom he has taken happy.

Various Laws

6“No one shall seize a handmill or an upper millstone as a pledge for a loan, since he would be seizing the debtor’s 11means of life as a pledge.

7“12If someone is 13caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he treats him as merchandise and sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall eliminate the evil from among you.

8“14Be careful about an infestation of leprosy, that you are very attentive and act in accordance with everything that the Levitical priests teach you; just as I have commanded them, you shall be careful to act. 9Remember what the Lord your God did 15to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.

10“16When you make your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. 11You shall stand outside, and the person to whom you are making the loan shall bring the pledge outside to you. 12And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. 1317When the sun goes down you shall certainly return the pledge to him, so that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and 18it will be righteousness for you before the Lord your God.

14“19You shall not exploit a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your strangers who are in your land in your 20towns. 1521You shall give him his wages on his day 22before the sun sets--for he is poor and sets his 23heart on it--so that 24he does not cry out against you to the Lord, and it becomes a sin in you.

16“25Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin alone.

17“26You shall not pervert the justice 27due a stranger or 28an orphan, nor 29seize a widow’s garment as a 30pledge. 18But you are to remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

19“31When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you are not to go back to get it; it shall belong 32to the stranger, the 33orphan, and to the widow, in order that the Lord your God 34may bless you in all the work of your hands. 2035When you beat the olives off your olive tree, you are not to search through the branches 36again; that shall be left 37for the stranger, the 38orphan, and for the widow.

21“When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you are not to 39go over it again; that shall be left for the stranger, the 40orphan, and the widow. 22And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.