Deuteronomy 24

Divorce & Remarriage

1 If a man marries a woman but ends up not feeling her no more because he finds something wrong, He can write up divorce papers, hand them to her, and send her out the house.

2 If she leaves and marries another dude,

3 And that second dude either divorces her or dies,

4 The first husband cannot take her back, that is nasty in God’s eyes. Do not bring that sin into the land the Lord’s blessing you with.

Newlyweds Get a Break

5 If a man just got married, he does not go to war or do no heavy work for a year. Let him stay home and make his wife happy.

Do Not Take People’s Tools to Survive

6 Do not take someone’s grindstone or millstone for a loan, That is like taking their way to eat.

Kidnapping Is a Death Sentence

7 If somebody kidnaps a brother from Israel, sells him, or treats him like property, That person must die. Get that evil outta your camp.

Leprosy, Respect the Protocol

8 If someone gets a skin disease, follow what the Levite priests say. Do exactly what they teach you.

9 Remember what God did to Miriam on the way outta Egypt, Do not play with disobedience.

Treat the Poor Fair

10 If you loan somebody something, do not go barging into their house to collect.

11 Wait outside, let them bring it to you.

12 If the person is poor, do not sleep with what they gave you as collateral.

13 Give it back before the sun goes down, So they can sleep in peace and bless you. God will see that and count it as righteousness.

Do Not Oppress Workers

14 Do not cheat a poor worker, whether Israelite or foreigner. Pay them what they earned.

15 Pay them the same day, they counting on that money. Do not let them cry out to God about you, you will be guilty.

Each Person Pays for Their Own Sin

16 Parents are not to be put to death for their kids’ sins, And kids are not to be put to death for their parents. Each one pays for their own mess.

Look Out for the Struggling

17 Do not mess with justice for foreigners or orphans. Do not take a widow’s coat as a loan.

18 Remember, you were slaves in Egypt, and God rescued you. That is why you must treat folks right.

Be Generous with Your Harvest

19 If you forget some grain in the field, leave it. Let the foreigner, the orphan, or the widow have it. That is how you get blessed by the Lord.

20 Same with your olive trees, do not go back over them twice. Leave what is left.

21 When you pick grapes, do not go back a second time. Leave some for the struggler, the outsider, and the widow.

22 Remember, you used to be a slave in Egypt. That is why God wants you to act different, and be generous.