24 1 When a man marries a woman who no longer pleases him because he finds something indecent in her, he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her from his house, a a v1 Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of the human heart; Jesus pointed back to our Father's original design of lifelong union (Matthew 19:8). 2 and if she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man's wife, 3 and her second husband hates her, writes her a divorce certificate, puts it in her hand, and sends her from his house — or if that second husband who took her as his wife dies 4 —then her first husband, who sent her away, may not marry her again after she has been made unclean; that is detestable before our Father, and you must not bring guilt on the land your Father gives you as an inheritance.
5 When a man takes a new wife, he must not join the army or be given any duty; he is free at home one year, to bring joy to the wife he took.
6 No one may take a millstone, or even just the upper one, as security for a debt — that pledges a person's life.
7 If a man is found kidnapping a fellow Israelite, enslaving or selling him, that kidnapper must die. So purge the evil from among you.
8 About a defiling skin disease, be very careful to do exactly as the Levitical priests teach you, just as I commanded them. 9 Remember what your Father did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.
10 When you lend your neighbor anything, don't enter his house to take his pledge. 11 You must stand outside, and the borrower must bring the pledge out to you. 12 And if he is a poor man, you must not keep his pledge overnight. 13 Return his pledge by sunset, so he can sleep in his cloak and bless you; your Father will credit it to you as righteousness.
14 Do not exploit a poor, needy hired worker, whether a brother or a foreigner living in your land, in your towns. 15 Pay his wages the same day, before sunset—he is poor and depends on it. Otherwise he may cry out to our Father against you, and it will be sin for you.
16 Parents must not be executed for their children, nor children executed for their parents; each is to be executed for his own sin.
17 You must not deny justice to the foreigner or fatherless, nor take a widow's cloak as pledge. 18 Remember you were a slave in Egypt; your Father redeemed you from there — so I command you to do this.
19 When you harvest your field and forget a sheaf, don't go back for it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so your Father blesses you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive tree, do not go over the branches again; leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.
21 When you gather your vineyard's grapes, don't strip what's left; leave it for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. 22 Remember you were slaves in the land of Egypt; that's why I command you to do this.
