Exodus 23
1 Non suscipies vocem mendacii: nec iunges manum tuam ut pro impio dicas falsum testimonium.
“You must not spread stories that are lies. You must not help bad people by giving evidence that's malicious.
2 Non sequeris turbam ad faciendum malum: nec in iudicio, plurimorum acquiesces sententiae, ut a vero devies.
Don't follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give evidence in a lawsuit, don't corrupt justice by siding with the majority.
3 Pauperis quoque non misereberis in iudicio.
Don't show favoritism to poor people in their legal cases either.
4 Si occurreris bovi inimici tui, aut asino erranti, reduc ad eum.
If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey that has wandered off, take it back it to him.
5 Si videris asinum odientis te iacere sub onere, non pertransibis, sed sublevabis cum eo.
If you see the donkey of someone who hates you that has fallen under its load, don't just leave it there. You must stop and help.
6 Non declinabis in iudicium pauperis.
You must not prevent the poor from getting justice in their lawsuits.
7 Mendacium fugies. Insontem et iustum non occides: quia aversor impium.
Don't have anything to do with making false accusations. Don't kill the innocent or those who do right, for I won't let the guilty go unpunished.
8 Nec accipies munera, quae etiam excaecant prudentes, et subvertunt verba iustorum.
Don't accept bribes, for a bribe blinds those who can see, and undermines the evidence of the honest.
9 Peregrino molestus non eris. scitis enim advenarum animas: quia et ipsi peregrini fuistis in Terra Aegypti.
Don't abuse foreigners living among you, since you know very well what it's like to be foreigners, for you were once foreigners in Egypt.
10 Sex annis seminabis terram tuam, et congregabis fruges eius.
Six years you are to sow your land and harvest crops,
11 Anno autem septimo dimittes eam, et requiescere facies, ut comedant pauperes populi tui: et quidquid reliquum fuerit, edant bestiae agri: ita facies in vinea et in oliveto tuo.
but in the seventh year you are to let it rest and leave it uncultivated, so that poor people may eat what grows naturally from the field and the wild animals can finish what's left. Follow the same procedure for your vineyards and olive groves.
12 Sex diebus operaberis: septimo die cessabis, ut requiescat bos et asinus tuus: et refrigeretur filius ancillae tuae, et advena.
You have six days to do your work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, so that your ox and your donkey can rest, and your slaves' families can catch their breath, as well as the foreigners living among you.
13 Omnia quae dixi vobis, custodite. Et per nomen externorum deorum non iurabitis, neque audietur ex ore vestro.
Make sure to pay attention to everything I've told you. Don't think to call on the names of other gods—you must not even mention them.
14 Tribus vicibus per singulos annos mihi festa celebrabitis.
Three times every year you are to celebrate a feast dedicated to me.
15 Sollemnitatem azymorum custodies. Septem diebus comedes azyma, sicut praecepi tibi, tempore mensis novorum, quando egressus es de Aegypto: non apparebis in conspectu meo vacuus.
You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread as I instructed you. You are to eat bread without yeast for seven days at the appropriate time in the month of Abib, because that was the month you left Egypt. No one can come before me without bringing an offering.
16 Et sollemnitatem messis primitivorum operis tui, quaecumque seminaveris in agro. sollemnitatem quoque in exitu anni, quando congregaveris omnes fruges tuas de agro.
You are also to observe the Festival of Harvest when you present the firstfruits of the produce from what you've sown in the fields. Lastly you are to observe the Festival of Gathering-In the Harvest at the end of the year, when you gather in the harvest of the rest of your crops from the field.
17 Ter in anno apparebit omne masculinum tuum coram Domino Deo tuo.
Every Israelite male is to come before the Lord God at these three times every year.
18 Non immolabis super fermento sanguinem victimae tuae, nec remanebit adeps sollemnitatis meae usque mane.
You must not offer the blood of my sacrifices together with anything that contains yeast, and the fat from the offerings presented at my festival must not be left until morning.
19 Primitias frugum terrae tuae deferes in domum Domini Dei tui. Non coques hoedum in lacte matris suae.
Bring the best firstfruits of your crops to the house of the Lord your God. Don't cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
20 Ecce ego mittam Angelum meum, qui praecedat te, et custodiat in via, et introducat in locum quem praeparavi.
Look, I'm sending an angel ahead of you to protect you on the way and to take you to the place I've prepared for you.
21 Observa eum, et audi vocem eius, nec contemnendum putes: quia non dimittet cum peccaveris, et est nomen meum in illo.
Make sure you pay attention to him and do what he says. Don't oppose him, because he won't forgive rebellion, for he carries my authority.
22 Quod si audieris vocem eius, et feceris omnia quae loquor, inimicus ero inimicis tuis, et affligam affligentes te.
However, if you listen to him carefully, and do everything that I tell you, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and I will fight those who fight against you.
23 Praecedetque te Angelus meus, et introducet te ad Amorrhaeum, et Hethaeum, et Pherezaeum, Chananaeumque, et Hevaeum, et Iebusaeum, quos ego conteram.
For my angel will go ahead of you and take you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.
24 Non adorabis deos eorum, nec coles eos: non facies opera eorum, sed destrues eos, et confringes statuas eorum.
You must not bow down to their gods or worship them or follow their pagan practices. No, you must demolish their idols and smash their sacred pillars into pieces.
25 Servietisque Domino Deo vestro, ut benedicam panibus tuis et aquis, et auferam infirmitatem de medio tui.
You are to worship the Lord your God, and he will bless your food and water. I will make sure none of you fall sick.
26 Non erit infoecunda, nec sterilis in terra tua: numerum dierum tuorum implebo.
No woman will have a miscarriage or be without children. I will make sure you live long lives.
27 Terrorem meum mittam in praecursum tuum, et occidam omnem populum, ad quem ingredieris: cunctorumque inimicorum tuorum coram te terga vertam:
I will send terror about me ahead of you which will throw every nation you meet into panic. I will make all your enemies turn and run away.
28 emittens crabrones prius, qui fugabunt Hevaeum, et Chananaeum, et Hethaeum, antequam introeas.
I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out before you the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites.
29 Non eiiciam eos a facie tua anno uno: ne terra in solitudinem redigatur, et crescant contra te bestiae.
I will not drive them out in just one year, because the land would become desolate and you would have to deal with increased numbers of wild animals.
30 Paulatim expellam eos de conspectu tuo, donec augearis, et possideas Terram.
Bit by bit I will drive them out ahead of you, until there are enough of you to take possession of the land.
31 Ponam autem terminos tuos a Mari rubro usque ad Mare Palaestinorum, et a deserto usque ad fluvium: tradam in manibus vestris habitatores Terrae, et eiiciam eos de conspectu vestro.
I will fix your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will hand the inhabitants of the land over to you, and you will drive them out.
32 Non inibis cum eis foedus, nec cum diis eorum.
You must not make any agreement with them or with their gods.
33 Non habitent in terra tua, ne forte peccare te faciant in me, si servieris diis eorum: quod tibi certe erit in scandalum.
They must not be allowed to stay in your land, otherwise they will lead you to sin against me. For if you worship their gods, they will definitely become a trap for you.”
