Equal Justice for All
The Lord said:
1 Don't spread harmful rumors or help a criminal by giving false evidence.
2 Always tell the truth in court, even if everyone else is dishonest and stands in the way of justice. 3 And don't favor the poor, simply because they are poor.
4 If you find an ox or a donkey that has wandered off, take it back where it belongs, even if the owner is your enemy.
5 If a donkey is overloaded and falls down, you must do what you can to help, even if it belongs to someone who doesn't like you.
6 Make sure that the poor are given equal justice in court. 7 Don't bring false charges against anyone or sentence an innocent person to death. I won't forgive you if you do.
8 Don't accept bribes. Judges are blinded and justice is twisted by bribes.
9 Don't mistreat foreigners. You were foreigners in Egypt, and you know what it is like.
Laws for the Sabbath
The Lord said:
10 Plant and harvest your crops for six years, 11 but let the land rest during the seventh year. The poor are to eat what they want from your fields, vineyards, and olive trees during that year, and when they have all they want from your fields, leave the rest for wild animals.
12 Work the first six days of the week, but rest and relax on the seventh day. This law is not only for you, but for your oxen, donkeys, and slaves, as well as for any foreigners among you.
13 Make certain that you obey everything I have said. Don't pray to other gods or even mention their names.
Three Annual Festivals
(Exodus 34.18-26Deuteronomy 16.1-17)The Lord said:
14 Celebrate three festivals each year in my honor.
15 Celebrate the Festival of Thin Bread by eating bread made without yeast, just as I have commanded. Do this at the proper time during the month of Abib, because it is the month when you left Egypt. And make certain that everyone brings the proper offerings.
16 Celebrate the Harvest Festival each spring when you start harvesting your wheat, and celebrate the Festival of Shelters each autumn when you pick your fruit.
17 Your men must come to these three festivals each year to worship me.
18 Do not offer bread made with yeast when you sacrifice an animal to me. And make sure that the fat of the animal is burned that same day.
19 Each year bring the best part of your first harvest to the place of worship.
Don't boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
A Promise and a Warning
The Lord said:
20 I am sending an angel to protect you and to lead you into the land I have ready for you. 21 Carefully obey everything the angel says, because I am giving him complete authority, and he won't tolerate rebellion. 22 If you faithfully obey him, I will be a fierce enemy of your enemies. 23 My angel will lead you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. 24 Don't worship their gods or follow their customs. Instead, destroy their idols and shatter their stone images.
25 Worship only me, the Lord your God! I will bless you with plenty of food and water and keep you strong. 26 Your women will give birth to healthy children, and everyone will live a long life.
27 I will terrify those nations and make your enemies so confused that they will run from you. 28 I will make the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites panic as you approach. 29 But I won't do all this in the first year, because the land would become poor, and wild animals would be everywhere. 30 Instead, I will force out your enemies little by little and give your nation time to grow strong enough to take over the land.
31 I will see that your borders reach from the Red Sea to the Euphrates River and from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert. I will let you defeat the people who live there, and you will force them out of the land. 32 But you must not make any agreements with them or with their gods. 33 Don't let them stay in your land. They will trap you into sinning against me and worshiping their gods.
Likumi par taisnīgumu un žēlsirdību
1 Nebaumo! Necel zvērestā roku kopā ar ļaundari, kļūdams par viltus liecinieku!
2 Neskrien pakaļ visiem citiem, darīdams ļaunu, un nesniedz liecību tiesā, sagrozīdams patiesību kā daudzi! 3 Pat nabaga pusē nestājies tiesā netaisni.
4 Ja satiec nomaldījušos sava ienaidnieka vērsi vai ēzeli, aizved to viņam atpakaļ.
5 Ja redzi ēzeli, kas pieder tam, kas tevi nīst, guļam pakritušu zem jūga – nepamet to, atbrīvo viņu!
6 Nesagrozi nabaga tiesu, kad tas tiesājas! 7 Turies tālu no melu vārdiem, neslepkavo nevainīgo un taisnīgo – es ļaundari neattaisnošu! 8 Neņem kukuli, jo kukulis dara ierēdņus aklus un sagroza taisnīgas lietas! 9 Un svešinieku neapspied – jūs zināt, kā svešiniekam iet, jo paši bijāt svešinieki Ēģiptes zemē!
Sabata gads un sabats
10 Sešus gadus apsēj savu zemi un ievāc tās ražu. 11 Bet septītajā gadā atstāj to nelietotu un ļauj tai atpūsties, lai paēd tavas tautas nabagi, un to, kas tiem paliks pāri, lai ēd lauka zvēri, – tāpat dari ar savu vīnadārzu un olīvkokiem. 12 Sešas dienas dari savus darbus, bet septītajā dienā atpūties. Lai atpūšas tavs vērsis un ēzelis, lai atvelk elpu tavas verdzenes dēls un svešinieks. 13 Ievērojiet visu, ko es jums saku! Un citu dievu vārdus nepieminiet! Lai tos nedzird no jūsu mutes!
Trīs gadskārtējie svētki
(2Moz 34:18–265Moz 16:1–17)14 Trīs reizes gadā sviniet man svētkus! 15 Neraudzētās maizes svētki lai jums ir septiņas dienas. Ēd neraudzētu maizi, kā es tev pavēlēju – noliktajā laikā, abība mēnesī, jo tad tu iznāci no Ēģiptes. Nevienu manā priekšā lai neredz tukšā! 16 Un sviniet Pļaujas svētkus – par pirmajiem augļiem no tā, ko tu sēji laukā. Un Ražas svētkus, gadam aizejot, kad tu novāc no lauka sava darba augļus. 17 Trīs reizes gadā visi tavi vīri lai nāk Dieva Kunga priekšā! 18 Neupurē mana upura asinis ar raudzētu. Un lai nepaliek manu svētku treknums līdz rītam! 19 Pirmos no tavas zemes pirmajiem augļiem pienes Kunga, tava Dieva, namam. Nevāri kazlēnu viņa mātes pienā!
Apsolījums par zemes iekarošanu
20 Redzi, es sūtu eņģeli tev pa priekšu, lai tas tevi sargā ceļā un aizved tevi uz vietu, ko es esmu sagatavojis. 21 Pakļaujies un klausi viņam, nedumpo pret viņu, jo jūsu pārkāpumus viņš nepiedos – mans vārds ir pie viņa! 22 Ja tu viņu klausīt klausīsi un darīsi visu, ko es saku, tad es būšu ienaidnieks taviem ienaidniekiem un pretinieks taviem pretiniekiem! 23 Mans eņģelis ies tev pa priekšu un aizvedīs tevi pie amoriešiem, hetiešiem, periziešiem, kanaāniešiem, hiviešiem un jebūsiešiem, un tad es tos izdeldēšu! 24 Nezemojieties viņu dieviem, nevergojiet tiem un nedariet, kā viņi dara, bet gan plēstin noplēsiet un grautin sagraujiet viņu elku stabus. 25 Kalpojiet Kungam, savam Dievam, un viņš svētīs jūsu maizi un ūdeni, un es jums noņemšu visas kaites. 26 Tavā zemē nebūs izmetušos un neauglīgu sievu. Tavu dienu skaitu es piepildīšu!
27 Savas šausmas es sūtīšu tev pa priekšu un apstulbošu visas tautas, pret kurām tu ej. Es darīšu, ka visi tavi ienaidnieki griezīs tev muguru! 28 Es sūtīšu sirseņus tev pa priekšu, tie padzīs tavā priekšā hiviešus, kanaāniešus un jebūsiešus. 29 Vienā gadā es nepadzīšu tos tavā priekšā, ka tā zeme netop izdeldēta un tev tur nesavairojas lauka zvēri! 30 Pamazām, pamazām vien es viņus padzīšu tavā priekšā, kamēr tu būsi savairojies un apguvis zemi. 31 Es nolikšu tavas robežas no Niedru jūras līdz Filistiešu jūrai un no tuksneša līdz Upei , jo es jums atdošu tās zemes iemītniekus, un tu padzīsi viņus. 32 Neslēdz derību ne ar viņiem, ne ar viņu dieviem! 33 Tie nedzīvos tavā zemē, ka tie neapgrēcina tevi pret mani. Ja tu kalposi viņu dieviem, tas tev kļūs par lamatām!”
