22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death – the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.

25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbour, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.

28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonour his father’s bed.[b]

Exclusion from the assembly

23 [c]No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.

No one born of a forbidden marriage[d] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim[e] to pronounce a curse on you. However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.

Do not despise an Edomite, for the Edomites are related to you. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country. The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.

Uncleanness in the camp

When you set up camp against your enemies, keep away from everything impure. 10 If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. 11 But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp.

12 Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. 13 As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.

Miscellaneous laws

15 If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master. 16 Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress them.

17 No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine-prostitute. 18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute[f] into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both.

19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. 20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.

21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.

24 If you enter your neighbour’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25 If you enter your neighbour’s cornfield, you may pick the ears with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing corn.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 22:29 That is, about 575 grams
  2. Deuteronomy 22:30 In Hebrew texts this verse (22:30) is numbered 23:1.
  3. Deuteronomy 23:1 In Hebrew texts 23:1-25 is numbered 23:2-26.
  4. Deuteronomy 23:2 Or one of illegitimate birth
  5. Deuteronomy 23:4 That is, North-west Mesopotamia
  6. Deuteronomy 23:18 Hebrew of a dog

22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept(A) with her and the woman must die.(B) You must purge the evil from Israel.

23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.(C)

25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed,(D) there was no one to rescue her.

28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered,(E) 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.[b](F)

Exclusion From the Assembly

23 [c]No one who has been emasculated(G) by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.

No one born of a forbidden marriage[d] nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.

No Ammonite(H) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.(I) For they did not come to meet you with bread and water(J) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam(K) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim[e](L) to pronounce a curse on you.(M) However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse(N) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves(O) you. Do not seek a treaty(P) of friendship with them as long as you live.(Q)

Do not despise an Edomite,(R) for the Edomites are related to you.(S) Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.(T) The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.

Uncleanness in the Camp

When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure.(U) 10 If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there.(V) 11 But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset(W) he may return to the camp.(X)

12 Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. 13 As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God moves(Y) about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy,(Z) so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.

Miscellaneous Laws

15 If a slave has taken refuge(AA) with you, do not hand them over to their master.(AB) 16 Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress(AC) them.

17 No Israelite man(AD) or woman is to become a shrine prostitute.(AE) 18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute[f] into the house of the Lord your God to pay any vow, because the Lord your God detests them both.(AF)

19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest.(AG) 20 You may charge a foreigner(AH) interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless(AI) you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.

21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it,(AJ) for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.(AK) 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.(AL) 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.

24 If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25 If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.(AM)

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 22:29 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
  2. Deuteronomy 22:30 In Hebrew texts this verse (22:30) is numbered 23:1.
  3. Deuteronomy 23:1 In Hebrew texts 23:1-25 is numbered 23:2-26.
  4. Deuteronomy 23:2 Or one of illegitimate birth
  5. Deuteronomy 23:4 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  6. Deuteronomy 23:18 Hebrew of a dog