THE FIFTH BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
D E U T E R O N O M Y
Deuteronomy 24 ©
Of the woman who was dismissed by her husband with a bill of divorcement, v. 1, etc. The liberty of the new married man, 5. Pawns or pledges, 6. Man-stealer, 7. Leprosy, 8. And again of pawns and pledges, 10. Of hire, 14. None to be punished for another’s offense, 19. Of justice and love towards widows, orphans and strangers, 17.
WHEN a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found 1some uncleanness in her: 2then let him write her a 3billa of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
Her former husband, which sent her away, may not 4take her again to be his wife, 5after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause 6the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
¶When a man hath taken a new wife,b he shall not go out to 7war, 8neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be 9free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.
¶No man shall take 10the nether or 11the upper millstone to pledge: for 12he taketh a man’s 13life to pledge.
¶If a man be found stealingc14any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.
¶Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe 15diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as Id commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.
Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriame by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.
¶When thou dost lend thy brother 16any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.
And if the man be poor, thou shalt not 17sleep with his pledge:
18In any case thou shalt deliverf him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and 19bless thee: and 20it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.
¶Thou shalt not 21oppressg an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy 22gates:
23At his day thou shalt give him his hire, 24neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth 25his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be 26sin unto thee.
27The fathers shall not be put to death forh the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
¶Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger,inor of 28the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge:
But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
¶When thou cuttestj down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.
When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs 29again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.