Deuteronomy 23

1 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD.

No man whose private parts have been wounded or cut off may come into the meeting of the Lord's people.

2 A bastard shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation shall none of his enter into the assembly of the LORD.

One whose father and mother are not married may not come into the meeting of the Lord's people, or any of his family to the tenth generation.

3 An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation shall none belonging to them enter into the assembly of the LORD for ever:

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their people to the tenth generation may come into the meeting of the Lord's people:

4 because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

Because they gave you no bread or water on your way, when you came out of Egypt: and they got Balaam, the son of Peor, from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to put curses on you.

5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

But the Lord your God would not give ear to Balaam, but let the curse be changed into a blessing to you, because of his love for you.

6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

Do nothing for their peace or well-being for ever.

7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.

But have no hate for an Edomite, because he is your brother, or for an Egyptian, for you were living in his land.

8 The children of the third generation that are born unto them shall enter into the assembly of the LORD.

Their children in the third generation may come into the meeting of the Lord's people.

9 When thou goest forth in camp against thine enemies, then thou shalt keep thee from every evil thing.

When you go out to war and put your tents in position, keep from every evil thing.

10 If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of that which chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:

If any man among you becomes unclean through anything which has taken place in the night, he is to go out from the tent-circle and keep outside it:

11 but it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall bathe himself in water: and when the sun is down, he shall come within the camp.

But when evening comes near, let him take a bath: and after sundown he may come back to the tents.

12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:

Let there be a place outside the tent-circle to which you may go;

13 and thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

And have among your arms a spade; and when you have been to that place, let that which comes from you be covered up with earth:

14 for the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

For the Lord your God is walking among your tents, to keep you safe and to give up into your hands those who are fighting against you; then let your tents be holy, so that he may see no unclean thing among you, and be turned away from you.

15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master a servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:

Do not give back to his master a servant who has gone in flight from his master and come to you:

16 he shall dwell with thee, in the midst of thee, in the place which he shall choose within one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.

Let him go on living among you in whatever place is most pleasing to him: do not be hard on him.

17 There shall be no harlot of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

No daughter of Israel is to let herself be used as a loose woman for a strange god, and no son of Israel is to give himself to a man.

18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the wages of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Do not take into the house of the Lord your God, as an offering for an oath, the price of a loose woman or the money given to one used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods: for these two things are disgusting to the Lord your God.

19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:

Do not take interest from an Israelite on anything, money or food or any other goods, which you let him have:

20 unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thine hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.

From men of other nations you may take interest, but not from an Israelite: so that the blessing of the Lord your God may be on everything to which you put your hand, in the land which you are about to take as your heritage.

21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

When you take an oath to the Lord, do not be slow to give effect to it: for without doubt the Lord your God will make you responsible, and will put it to your account as sin.

22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

But if you take no oath, there will be no sin.

23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt observe and do; according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, a freewill offering, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

Whatever your lips have said, see that you do it; for you gave your word freely to the Lord your God.

24 When thou comest into thy neighbour’s vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.

When you go into your neighbour's vine-garden, you may take of his grapes at your pleasure, but you may not take them away in your vessel.

25 When thou comest into thy neighbour’s standing corn, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour’s standing corn.

When you go into your neighbour's field, you may take the heads of grain with your hand; but you may not put your blade to his grain.