Deuteronomy 24

Laws on Divorce, Pledges, and Social Justice

3 min read

1 When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorce, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.
3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorce, and gives it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and you shall not cause the land to sin, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance. ¶
5 When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he has taken. ¶
6 No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he takes a man’s life to pledge. ¶
7 If a man be found stealing any of his brothers of the children of Israel, and makes merchandise of him, or sells him; then that thief shall die; and you shall put evil away from among you. ¶
8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that you observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so you shall observe to do.
9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam by the way, after that you were come forth out of Egypt. ¶
10 When you do lend your brother any thing, you shall not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
11 You shall stand abroad, and the man to whom you do lend shall bring out the pledge abroad to you.
12 And if the man be poor, you shall not sleep with his pledge:
13 In any case you shall deliver him the pledge again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless you: and it shall be righteousness to you before the LORD your God. ¶
14 You shall not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of your brothers, or of your strangers that are in your land within your gates:
15 At his day you shall give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down on it; for he is poor, and sets his heart on it: lest he cry against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you.
16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. ¶
17 You shall not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:
18 But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you there: therefore I command you to do this thing. ¶
19 When you cut down your harvest in your field, and have forgot a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
20 When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt: therefore I command you to do this thing.
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