Deuteronomy 25
1 When there ariseth a controversy between men, and they come nigh unto judgment, and judgment is granted them, then shall they justify the righteous man, and condemn the lawless.
If there is some legal argument between two people, they are to go to court to have the case judged, in order to justify the one who is right and condemn the one who is wrong.
2 And it shall be—if the lawless man be, worthy of stripes, then shall the judge cause him to lie down and be beaten before him, according to the measure of his lawlessness, by number:
If the person who is guilty is sentenced to be flogged, the judge shall order them to lie down and be flogged before him with the number of lashes the crime deserves.
3 forty stripes, may he give him not going beyond, —lest, if he do go beyond to smite him above these, with many stripes, then should thy brother be of no account in thine eyes.
They are not to receive more than forty lashes. More than that would be to publicly humiliate them.
4 Thou shalt not muzzle an ox when he is treading out the corn.
Don't muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.
5 When brethren dwell together, and one of them dieth, having, no son, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside to a stranger, —her husband’s brother, shall go in unto her, and take her unto him to wife and do for her as a husband’s brother.
When two brothers live near to each other and one of them dies without having a son, the widow is not to marry a stranger outside the family. Her husband's brother is to marry her and sleep with her, fulfilling the requirements of a brother-in-law to provide her with children.
6 And it shall be, that, the firstborn which she beareth, shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, —so shall his name not be wiped out from Israel.
The first son she has will be named after the dead brother, so that his name won't be forgotten in Israel.
7 But, if the man like not to take his sister-in-law, then shall his sister-in-law go up unto the gate, unto the elders, and say—My husband’s brother hath refused, to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he is not willing to do as a husband’s brother unto me.
However, if the man refuses to marry his brother's widow, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and tell them, “My husband's brother is refusing to keep his brother's name alive in Israel. He doesn't want to perform the requirements of a brother-in-law for me.”
8 Then shall the elders of his city call him and speak unto him, —and he shall stand and say, I like not to take her.
The town elders are to summon him and talk with him. If he continues to refuse and says, “I don't want to marry her,”
9 Then shall his brother’s wife come near unto him in the presence of the elders, and draw his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, —and respond and say, Thus shall it be done unto the man who will not build up the house of his brother.
his brother's widow is to confront him in the presence of the elders, pull off his sandal, spit in his face, and announce, “This is what happens to the man who refuses to keep his brother's family name alive.”
10 And his name shall be called in Israel, —The house of him who had his shoe drawn off.
From then on his family name in Israel will be called “The Family of the Pulled-off Sandal.”
11 When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, —and she putteth forth her hand, and seizeth him by his parts of shame,
If two men are fighting, and one of their wives intervenes to save her husband from being beaten, and she grabs hold of the attacker's genitals,
12 then shalt thou cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity.
you are to cut her hand off. Don't show her any mercy.
13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, —a great and a small.
Don't have two different measuring weights in your bag, one that's heavy and one that's light.
14 Thou shalt not have in thy house divers measures, —a great and a small.
Don't have two different measuring containers in your house, one that's large and one that's small.
15 A weight full and just, shalt thou have, a measure full and just, shalt thou have, —that thy days may be prolonged upon the soil which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee.
Make sure you always use accurate and true weights and measures. In that way you will have long lives in the country the Lord your God is giving you.
16 For an abomination unto Yahweh thy God, is every one that doeth these things, —every one that doeth unjustly.
Anyone who doesn't do so and cheats like this offends the Lord your God.
17 Remember that which Amalek did unto thee by the way when ye came forth out of Egypt;
Remember what the Amalekites did to you on your way out of Egypt.
18 how he encountered thee by the way and cut off in thy rear all the worn-out behind thee, thou thyself, being weary and worn, —how he feared not God.
The came out to confront you when you were tired and weary from your journey, and they attacked all those of you who were lagging behind. They didn't have any respect for God.
19 Therefore shall it be when Yahweh thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about in the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee for an inheritance to possess it, then shalt thou wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens, —thou shalt not forget.
Once the Lord your God gives you peace after fighting your enemies in the country that he's giving you to take over and own, you are to wipe out even the memory of the Amalekites from the earth. Don't forget!
