Old Testament · Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 23

1A man^a shall not take his father's wife^b, and he shall not uncover his father's skirt.

Exclusion from the Congregation

2One wounded by crushing or one cut off in the member shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD.

3A bastard shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his shall enter into the assembly of the LORD.

4An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none belonging to them shall enter into the assembly of the LORD forever, 5concerning the matter that they did not meet you with bread and with water in the way, when you came out from Egypt; and because he hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, to curse you. 6But the LORD your God was not willing to listen to Balaam; and the LORD your God turned for you the curse into a blessing, because the LORD your God loved you. 7You shall not seek their peace nor their good all your days forever.

8You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. 9Sons who are born to them, in the third generation, may enter for them into the assembly of the LORD.

Uncleanness in the Camp

(Leviticus 15:1–12)

10When you go out as a camp against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. 11If there is among you a man who is not clean because of an occurrence of the night, then he shall go out to outside the camp; he shall not come into the midst of the camp. 12And it shall be, toward the turning of evening, he shall wash himself in water; and when the sun goes in, he may come into the midst of the camp.

13And a hand shall be to you outside the camp, and you shall go out there, outside; 14And a peg shall be to you upon your weapon; and it shall be, when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it, and you shall turn back and cover your excrement.

15For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give your enemies before you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that he may not see in you a nakedness of a thing and turn away from after you. 16You shall not hand over a servant to his master, who escapes to you from his master. 17With you he shall dwell, in your midst, in the place that he chooses within one of your gates, where it is good for him; you shall not oppress him.

Miscellaneous Laws

18There shall not be a sacred prostitute of the daughters of Israel, nor shall there be a sacred prostitute of the sons of Israel. 19You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog into the house of the LORD your God for any vow; for both of them are an abomination of the LORD your God.

20You shall not lend on interest to your brother: interest of money, interest of food, interest of any thing that is lent on interest. 21To the foreigner you may lend on interest, but to your brother you shall not lend on interest; so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the putting-forth of your hand, upon the land where you are going in to possess it.

22When you vow a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it from you, and it would be sin in you. 23But if you forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in you. 24The going-out of your lips you shall keep and do, just as you vowed to the LORD your God a freewill-offering, which you spoke with your mouth.

25When you come into the vineyard of your neighbor, then you may eat grapes according to your soul^c, your fill; but into your vessel you shall not put.

26When you come into the standing-grain of your neighbor, then you may pluck ears with your hand; but a sickle you shall not wave over the standing-grain of your neighbor.