Social and Religious Laws

1YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2“You are to speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them, ‘Y’all must be holy because I, YHWH y’all’s God, am holy.

3“‘Each one of y’all is to respect their mother father, and y’all are to keep my Sabbaths. I am YHWH y’all’s God.

4“‘Y’all must not turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves*. I am YHWH y’all’s God.

5“‘When y’all offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to YHWH, y’all are to offer it so that y’all may be accepted. 6It must be eaten the same day y’all offer it, or on the next day. If anything remains on the third day, it must be burned with fire. 7If it is eaten-eaten on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted. 8Anyone who eats it will bear iniquity, because they have profaned the holy thing of YHWH, and that soul is to be cut off from their people.

9“‘When y’all reap the harvest of y’all’s land, do not wholly reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10You must not overpick your vineyard or gather every fallen grapes. You are to leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am YHWH y’all’s God.

11“‘Y’all must not steal.

“‘Y’all must not lie.

“‘Y’all must not deceive one another.

12“‘Y’all must not swear falsely in my name, and profane the name of your God. I am YHWH.

13“‘You must not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him.

“‘The wages of a hired servant must not remain with you all night until the morning.

14“‘You must not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind. Rather you are to fear your God. I am YHWH.

15“‘Y’all must not act unjustly in judgment. You must neither lift up the face of the poor or show honor to face of the great, but you are to judge your neighbor in righteousness.

16“‘You must not go around as a slanderer among your people.

“‘You must not endanger the blood of your neighbor. I am YHWH.

17“‘You must not hate your sibling in your heart. You must rebuke-rebuke your neighbor, and not incur sin because of him.

18“‘You must not take revenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you are to love your neighbor as yourself. I am YHWH.

19“‘Y’all are to keep my statutes.

“‘You must not cross-breed different kinds of animals.

“‘You must not sow your field with two kinds of seed.

“‘You must not wear a garment made of two kinds of material.

20“‘If a man lies sexually with a woman who is a female slave pledged to be married to another man, but not ransomed or given her freedom, there must be punishment. However, they must not be put to death, because she was not free. 21He must bring his guilt offering to YHWH, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. 22The priest will make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before YHWH for his sin which he has committed; and the sin which he has committed will be forgiven.

23“‘When y’all come into the land and plant any kinds of trees for food, then y’all are to consider their fruit as uncircumcised. For three years it will be forbidden for y’all, and it must not be eaten. 24But in the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, for giving praise to YHWH. 25In the fifth year y’all may eat its fruit, so that its yield may increase for y’all. I am YHWH y’all’s God.

26“‘Y’all must not eat any meat with the blood still in it. Y’all must not use enchantments or practice sorcery.

27“‘Y’all are not to cut the hair on the sides of y’all’s head, and you must not clip off the edge of your beard.

28“‘Y’all must cut y’all’s flesh for the soul, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves*. I am YHWH.

29“‘You must not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land does not become a prostitute, full of wickedness.

30“‘Y’all are to keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am YHWH.

31“‘Y’all must not turn to mediums or spiritists. Y’all are not to seek them out and be defiled by them. I am YHWH y’all’s God.

32“‘You are to rise up in the presence of the gray head and honor the face of the elderly. You are to fear your God. I am YHWH.

33“‘If a foreigner resides among you in y’all’s land, y’all must not oppress them. 34The foreigner who resides among y’all is be to as the native-born among y’all, and you are love them as yourself, because y’all lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am YHWH y’all’s God.

35“‘Y’all must be unfair in judgments of measures in length, weight, or quantity. 36Y’all must have honest balances, honest weights, a honest ephah,+19:36 1 ephah is about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel and a honest hin.+19:36 A hin is about 6.5 liters or 1.7 gallons. I am YHWH y’all’s God, who brought y’all out from the land of Egypt.

37“‘Y’all are to observe all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them. I am YHWH.’”