Deuteronomy 24

1Suppose a man marries a woman. But later he decides he doesn’t like her. He finds something shameful about her. So he gives her a letter of divorce and sends her away from his house. 2Then after she leaves his house she becomes another man’s wife. 3But her second husband doesn’t like her either. So he gives her a letter of divorce and sends her away from his house. Or perhaps he dies.

4Then her first husband isn’t allowed to marry her again. The LORD would hate that. When her first husband divorced her, she became “unclean.” Don’t bring sin on the land the LORD your God is giving you as your own.

5Suppose a man has just married his wife. Then don’t send him into battle. Don’t give him any other duty either. He’s free to stay home for one year. He needs time to make his new wife happy.

6Someone might borrow money from you and give you two millstones to keep until you are paid back. Don’t keep them. Don’t even keep the upper one. That person needs both millstones to make a living.

7Suppose someone is caught kidnapping another Israelite. And they sell or treat that person as a slave. Then the kidnapper must die. Get rid of that evil person. 8What about skin diseases? Be very careful to do exactly what the priests, who are Levites, tell you to do. You must be careful to obey the commands I’ve given them.

9Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on your way out of Egypt. 10Suppose your neighbor borrows something from you. And he offers you something to keep until you get paid back. Then don’t go into their house to get it. 11Stay outside. Let the neighbor bring it out to you. 12The neighbor might be poor. You might be given their coat to keep until you get paid back. Don’t go to sleep while you still have it.

13Return it before the sun goes down. They need it to sleep in and will thank you for returning it. The LORD your God will see it and know that you have done the right thing. 14Don’t take advantage of any hired worker who is poor and needy. That applies to your own people. It also applies to outsiders living in one of your towns.

15Give them their pay every day. They are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t pay them, they might cry out to the LORD against you. Then you will be guilty of committing a sin.

16Parents must not be put to death because of what their children do. And children must not be put to death because of what their parents do. People must die because of their own sins. 17Do what is right and fair for outsiders and for children whose fathers have died. Suppose a widow borrows something from you. And she offers to give you her coat until she pays you back. Don’t take it.

18Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. Remember that the LORD your God set you free from there. That’s why I’m commanding you to do those things. 19When you are gathering crops in your field, you might leave some grain behind by mistake. Don’t go back to get it. Leave it behind for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. Then the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. 20When you knock olives off your trees, don’t go back over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. 21When you pick grapes in your vineyard, don’t go back over the vines a second time. Leave what remains for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. 22Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That’s why I’m commanding you to do these things.