1 ` When a man doth take a wife, and hath married her, and it hath been, if she doth not find grace in his eyes (for he hath found in her nakedness of anything), and he hath written for her a writing of divorce, and given into her hand, and sent her out of his house,

“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and he does not like her because he finds something bad in her, he will write her a paper of divorce and give it to her and send her away from his house.

2 a nd she hath gone out of his house, and hath gone and been another man's,

When she leaves his house, she may go and become another man’s wife.

3 a nd the latter man hath hated her, and written for her a writing of divorce, and given into her hand, and sent her out of his house, or when the latter man dieth, who hath taken her to himself for a wife:

If the second husband turns against her and gives her a paper of divorce and sends her out of his house, or if the second husband dies who took her for his wife,

4 ` Her former husband who sent her away is not able to turn back to take her to be to him for a wife, after that she hath become defiled; for an abomination it before Jehovah, and thou dost not cause the land to sin which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- an inheritance.

then her first husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her for his wife again, because she has become unclean. It is a hated thing to the Lord and you must not bring sin on the land the Lord your God is giving you.

5 ` When a man taketh a new wife, he doth not go out into the host, and doth not pass over unto him for anything; free he is at his own house one year, and hath rejoiced his wife whom he hath taken.

“When a man takes a new wife, he must not go with the army or be given any other work. He should be free to be at home one year to make the wife he has taken happy.

6 ` None doth take in pledge millstones, and rider, for life it he is taking in pledge.

“No one should take a man’s stones that he uses to crush grain as a promise to pay what he owes, for he would be taking away a man’s living.

7 ` When a man is found stealing a person, of his brethren, of the sons of Israel, and hath tyrannized over him, and sold him, then hath that thief died, and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst.

“If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the sons of Israel, and makes it hard for him, or sells him, then that robber must die. You must get rid of the sin from among you.

8 ` Take heed, in the plague of leprosy, to watch greatly, and to do according to all that the priests, the Levites, teach you; as I have commanded them ye observe to do;

“When there is a very bad skin disease, be careful to do all the Levite religious leaders tell you to do. Be careful to do what I have told them.

9 r emember that which Jehovah thy God hath done to Miriam in the way, in your coming out of Egypt.

Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your way out of Egypt.

10 ` When thou liftest up on thy brother a debt of anything, thou dost not go in unto his house to obtain his pledge;

“When you let your neighbor use anything of yours, do not go into his house to take what he would give you to make his promise sure.

11 a t the outside thou dost stand, and the man on whom thou art lifting up is bringing out unto thee the pledge at the outside.

Stay outside. The man who is using something of yours will bring the object out to you.

12 ` And if he is a poor man, thou dost not lie down with his pledge;

If he is a poor man, do not keep what he gives you through the night.

13 t hou dost certainly give back to him the pledge at the going in of the sun, and he hath lain down in his own raiment, and hath blessed thee; and to thee it is righteousness before Jehovah thy God.

Return his coat to him when the sun goes down so he may sleep in it and be thankful for you. You will be doing what is right before the Lord your God.

14 ` Thou dost not oppress a hireling, poor and needy, of thy brethren or of thy sojourner who is in thy land within thy gates;

“Do not make it hard for a paid servant who is poor and in need, if he is one of your brothers or one of the strangers who is living in one of your towns.

15 i n his day thou dost give his hire, and the sun doth not go in upon it, for he poor, and unto it he is lifting up his soul, and he doth not cry against thee unto Jehovah, and it hath been in thee -- sin.

Give him his pay on the day he earns it before the sun goes down. He is poor and he needs it. Then he will not cry to the Lord against you and you would be guilty of sin.

16 ` Fathers are not put to death for sons, and sons are not put to death for fathers -- each for his own sin, they are put to death.

“Fathers are not to be put to death for their children. Children are not to be put to death for their fathers. Each man will be put to death for his own sin.

17 ` Thou dost not turn aside the judgment of a fatherless sojourner, nor take in pledge the garment of a widow;

“Do what is fair for a stranger or a child whose parents are dead. Do not take the clothing of a woman whose husband has died to make sure she will pay what she owes.

18 a nd thou hast remembered that a servant thou hast been in Egypt, and Jehovah thy God doth ransom thee from thence; therefore I am commanding thee to do this thing.

Remember that you were servants in Egypt, and that the Lord your God set you free. So I am telling you to do this.

19 ` When thou reapest thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgotten a sheaf in a field, thou dost not turn back to take it; to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, it is; so that Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in all the work of thy hands.

“When you gather the grain in your field and have forgotten some of it, do not return to the field to get it. Leave it for the stranger, the child whose parents have died, and the woman whose husband has died. Then the Lord your God will bring good to you in all the work of your hands.

20 ` When thou beatest thine olive, thou dost not examine the branch behind thee; to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, it is.

When you beat your olive trees, do not beat the branches a second time. Leave the fruit for the stranger, the child whose parents have died, and the woman whose husband has died.

21 ` When thou cuttest thy vineyard, thou dost not glean behind thee; to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, it is;

When you gather the grapes from your vines, do not gather a second time. Leave them for the stranger, the child whose parents have died, and the woman whose husband has died.

22 a nd thou hast remembered that a servant thou hast been in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding thee to do this thing.

Remember that you were servants in the land of Egypt. Because of this, I am telling you to do this.