Bible Reading Plan – Day 55

₁“Suppose a man marries a woman and later decides that he doesn't want her, because he finds something about her that he doesn't like. So he writes out divorce papers, gives them to her, and sends her away from his home. ₂Then suppose she marries another man, ₃and he also decides that he doesn't want her, so he also writes out divorce papers, gives them to her, and sends her away from his home. Or suppose her second husband dies. ₄In either case, her first husband is not to marry her again; he is to consider her defiled. If he married her again, it would be offensive to the LORD. You are not to commit such a terrible sin in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

₅“When a man is newly married, he is not to be drafted into military service or any other public duty; he is to be excused from duty for one year, so that he can stay at home and make his wife happy.

₆“When you lend someone something, you are not to take as security his millstones used for grinding his corn. This would take away the family's means of preparing food to keep alive.

₇“Whoever kidnaps a fellow-Israelite and takes him or her as a slave or sells them into slavery is to be put to death. In this way you will get rid of this evil.

₈“When you are suffering from a dreaded skin disease, be sure to do exactly what the levitical priests tell you; follow the instructions that I have given them. ₉Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam as you were coming from Egypt.

₁₀“When you lend a neighbour something, do not go into his house to get the garment he is going to give you as security; ₁₁wait outside and let him bring it to you himself. ₁₂If he is poor, do not keep it overnight; ₁₃return it to him each evening, so that he can have it to sleep in. Then he will be grateful, and the LORD your God will be pleased with you.

₁₄“Do not cheat poor and needy hired servants, whether fellow-Israelites or foreigners living in one of your towns. ₁₅Each day before sunset pay them for that day's work; they need the money and have counted on getting it. If you do not pay them, they will cry out against you to the LORD, and you will be guilty of sin.

₁₆“Parents are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their parents; people are to be put to death only for crimes they themselves have committed.

₁₇“Do not deprive foreigners and orphans of their rights; and do not take a widow's garment as security for a loan. ₁₈Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God set you free; that is why I have given you this command.

₁₉“When you gather your crops and fail to bring in some of the corn that you have cut, do not go back for it; it is to be left for the foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. ₂₀When you have picked your olives once, do not go back and get those that are left; they are for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ₂₁When you have gathered your grapes once, do not go back over the vines a second time; the grapes that are left are for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ₂₂Never forget that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I have given you this command.

₁“Suppose two Israelites go to court to settle a dispute, and one is declared innocent and the other guilty. ₂If the guilty person is sentenced to be beaten, the judge is to make him lie face downwards and have him whipped. The number of lashes will depend on the crime he has committed. ₃He may be given as many as forty lashes, but no more; more than that would humiliate him publicly.

₄“Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh corn.

₅“If two brothers live on the same property and one of them dies, leaving no son, then his widow is not to be married to someone outside the family; it is the duty of the dead man's brother to marry her. ₆The first son that they have will be considered the son of the dead man, so that his family line will continue in Israel. ₇But if the dead man's brother does not want to marry her, she is to go before the town leaders and say, ‘My husband's brother will not do his duty; he refuses to give his brother a descendant among the people of Israel.’ ₈Then the town leaders are to summon him and speak to him. If he still refuses to marry her, ₉his brother's widow is to go up to him in the presence of the town leaders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face, and say, ‘This is what happens to the man who refuses to give his brother a descendant.’ ₁₀His family will be known in Israel as ‘the family of the man who had his sandal pulled off.’

₁₁“If two men are having a fight and the wife of one tries to help her husband by grabbing hold of the other man's genitals, ₁₂show her no mercy; cut off her hand.

_13-14“Do not cheat when you use weights and measures. ₁₅Use true and honest weights and measures, so that you may live a long time in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. ₁₆The LORD hates people who cheat.

₁₇“Remember what the Amalekites did to you as you were coming from Egypt. ₁₈They had no fear of God, and so they attacked you from the rear when you were tired and exhausted, and killed all who were straggling behind. ₁₉So then, when the LORD your God has given you the land and made you safe from all your enemies who live around you, be sure to kill all the Amalekites, so that no one will remember them any longer. Do not forget!

₁“After you have occupied the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have settled there, ₂each of you must place in a basket the first part of each crop that you harvest and you must take it with you to the one place of worship. ₃Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘I now acknowledge to the LORD my God that I have entered the land that he promised our ancestors to give us.’

₄“The priest will take the basket from you and place it before the altar of the LORD your God. ₅Then, in the LORD's presence you will recite these words: ‘My ancestor was a wandering Aramean, who took his family to Egypt to live. They were few in number when they went there, but they became a large and powerful nation. ₆The Egyptians treated us harshly and forced us to work as slaves. ₇Then we cried out for help to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our suffering, hardship, and misery. ₈By his great power and strength he rescued us from Egypt. He worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen. ₉He brought us here and gave us this rich and fertile land. ₁₀So now I bring to the LORD the first part of the harvest that he has given me.’

“Then set the basket down in the LORD's presence and worship there. ₁₁Be grateful for the good things that the LORD your God has given you and your family; and let the Levites and the foreigners who live among you join in the celebration.

₁₂“Every third year give the tithe — a tenth of your crops — to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, so that in every community they will have all they need to eat. When you have done this, ₁₃say to the LORD, ‘None of the sacred tithe is left in my house; I have given it to the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows, as you commanded me to do. I have not disobeyed or forgotten any of your commands concerning the tithe. ₁₄I have not eaten any of it when I was mourning; I have not taken any of it out of my house when I was ritually unclean; and I have not given any of it as an offering for the dead. I have obeyed you, O LORD; I have done everything you commanded concerning the tithe. ₁₅Look down from your holy place in heaven and bless your people Israel; bless also the rich and fertile land that you have given us, as you promised our ancestors.’

₁₆“Today the LORD your God commands you to obey all his laws; so obey them faithfully with all your heart. ₁₇Today you have acknowledged the LORD as your God; you have promised to obey him, to keep all his laws, and to do all that he commands. ₁₈Today the LORD has accepted you as his own people, as he promised you; and he commands you to obey all his laws. ₁₉He will make you greater than any other nation that he has created, and you will bring praise and honour to his name. You will be his own people, as he promised.”

₁Then Moses, together with the leaders of Israel, said to the people, “Obey all the instructions that I am giving you today. ₂On the day you cross the River Jordan and enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you are to set up some large stones, cover them with plaster, ₃and write on them all these laws and teachings. When you have entered the rich and fertile land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you, ₄and you are on the other side of the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am instructing you today, and cover them with plaster. ₅Build an altar there made of stones that have had no iron tools used on them, ₆because any altar you build for the LORD your God must be made of uncut stones. There you are to offer the sacrifices that are to be burnt, ₇and there you are to sacrifice and eat your fellowship offerings and be grateful in the presence of the LORD your God. ₈On the stones covered with plaster write clearly every word of God's laws.”

₉Then Moses, together with the levitical priests, said to all the people of Israel, “Give me your attention, people of Israel, and listen to me. Today you have become the people of the LORD your God; ₁₀so obey him and keep all his laws that I am giving you today.”

₁₁Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ₁₂“After you have crossed the Jordan, the following tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim when the blessings are pronounced on the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ₁₃And the following tribes will stand on Mount Ebal when the curses are pronounced: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. ₁₄The Levites will speak these words in a loud voice:

₁₅“ ‘God's curse on anyone who makes an idol of stone, wood, or metal and secretly worships it; the LORD hates idolatry.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₁₆“ ‘God's curse on anyone who dishonours his father or mother.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₁₇“ ‘God's curse on anyone who moves a neighbour's boundary mark.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₁₈“ ‘God's curse on anyone who leads a blind person in the wrong direction.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₁₉“ ‘God's curse on anyone who deprives foreigners, orphans, and widows of their rights.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₂₀“ ‘God's curse on anyone who disgraces his father by having intercourse with any of his father's wives.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₂₁“ ‘God's curse on anyone who has sexual relations with an animal.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₂₂“ ‘God's curse on anyone who has intercourse with his sister or half sister.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₂₃“ ‘God's curse on anyone who has intercourse with his mother-in-law.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₂₄“ ‘God's curse on anyone who secretly commits murder.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₂₅“ ‘God's curse on anyone who accepts money to murder an innocent person.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

₂₆“ ‘God's curse on anyone who does not obey all of God's laws and teachings.’

“And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’