1 “ Two men might argue and go to court. The judges will decide between them, saying that the right man is not guilty and that the sinful man is guilty.

If there is a controversy between men, and they come into court and the judges decide between them, justifying the innocent and condemning the guilty,

2 I f the sinful man should be beaten, the leader will make him lie down and be beaten in front of him. The number of times he is beaten will be decided upon by how bad his sin is.

Then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a certain number of stripes according to his offense.

3 T he number may be as much as forty, but no more. If he is beaten more than this, your brother would be put to much shame in your eyes.

Forty stripes may be given him but not more, lest, if he should be beaten with many stripes, your brother should seem low and worthless to you.

4 “ When the bull is made to walk on the grain to break it open, do not stop him from eating some.

You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.

5 “ When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the dead man’s wife must not be married outside the family to a strange man. The husband’s brother will take her as his wife and do what he should for her as a brother-in-law.

If brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, his wife shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.

6 T he first son born to her will take the name of the dead brother so his name will not be forgotten in Israel.

And the firstborn son shall succeed to the name of the dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.

7 B ut the man might not want to take his brother’s wife. Then his brother’s wife should go to the leaders at the gate and say, ‘My husband’s brother will not make his brother’s name to be remembered in Israel. He is not willing to do the duty of a brother-in-law to me.’

And if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuses to continue his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.

8 T hen the leaders of his city will call him and speak to him. If he still says, ‘I do not want to take her,’

Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. And if he stands firm and says, I do not want to take her,

9 t hen his brother’s wife will come to him in front of the leaders. She will pull his shoe off his foot and spit in his face. And she will say, ‘This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.’

Then shall his brother’s wife come to him in the presence of the elders and pull his shoe off his foot and spit in his face and shall answer, So shall it be done to that man who does not build up his brother’s house.

10 I n Israel his name will be called, ‘The house of him whose shoe is pulled off.’

And his family shall be called in Israel, The House of Him Whose Shoe Was Loosed.

11 “ If two men are fighting together and the wife of one comes to save her husband from the one who is hitting him and if she puts out her hand and takes hold of his sex part,

When men strive together one with another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband out of the hand of him who is beating him, and puts out her hand and seizes the other man by the private parts,

12 y ou must cut off her hand. Do not show pity.

Then you shall cut off her hand; your eyes shall not pity her.

13 “ You must not have two different weights in your bag, one large and one small.

You shall not have in your bag true and false weights, a large and a small.

14 Y ou must not have in your house different ways of showing how big or small something is.

You shall not have in your house true and false measures, a large and a small.

15 Y ou must have a full and fair weight. You must have a fair way to show how big something is. Then you will live long in the land the Lord your God gives you.

But you shall have a perfect and just weight and a perfect and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

16 F or the Lord hates everyone who does such things, who lies and is not fair.

For all who do such things, all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord your God.

17 “ Remember what Amalek did to you on your way out of Egypt.

Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when you had come forth from Egypt,

18 H e met you on the way when you were weak and tired. And he fought with those who were behind. He did not fear God.

How he did not fear God, but when you were faint and weary he attacked you along the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear.

19 W hen the Lord your God gives you rest from all those around you who hate you, in the land the Lord your God gives you for your own, you must forget all about Amalek, so no one under heaven will remember him. Do not forget to do this.

Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens; you must not forget.