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23
1 No man whose genitals have been damaged or cut off is allowed to enter the Lord's sanctuary.
2 No one of mixed race*“Mixed race”: the word is only used here and in Zechariah 9:6, and it's meaning is unclear. Some take it to mean “illegitimate,” and others “born of incest.” is allowed to enter the Lord's sanctuary, and none of his descendants may do so either, up to the tenth generation.
3 No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants are allowed to enter the Lord's sanctuary, up to the tenth generation. 4 For they did not come to meet you with food and water on your journey from Egypt, and they hired Balaam, son of Beor, from Pethor in Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. The Lord your God turned what was meant to be a curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you. 6 Don't arrange a peace treaty with them or help them out as long as you live.
7 Don't look down on an Edomite, for they are your relatives. Don't look down on an Egyptian either, because you lived as foreigners in their country. 8 The third generation of their children are allowed to enter the Lord's sanctuary.
9 When you are in an army camp during a war with your enemies, make sure you avoid anything wrong. 10 Any man there who becomes unclean because of a release of semen must leave the camp and remain outside. 11 Towards the end of the day he must wash himself with water, and at sunset he may return to the camp. 12 Choose a place outside the camp to be used as a toilet. 13 You need to have a spade as part of your equipment so that you can dig a hole, and then when you're finished you can cover up your excrement.
14 The Lord your God is present with you in your camp to keep you safe and to defeat your enemies. Your camp must be kept holy, because if he sees anything unclean among you, he will leave you.
15 Don't send a slave back to their master if they have come to you for protection. 16 Let the slave live in your country wherever they want, in whatever town they want. Don't mistreat them.
17 No Israelite women or men are to be cult prostitutes. 18 Don't bring into the house of the Lord your God any money from a prostitute, whether a woman or a man,†“Man”: the Hebrew uses the derogatory term, “dog.” using it to fulfill a promise to the Lord, for both are offensive to the Lord your God.
19 Don't charge a fellow Israelite interest on money, food, or any other kind of loan. 20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but not an Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do in the country that you are going in to occupy.
21 If you make a promise to the Lord your God, don't be slow in keeping it, because he will definitely demand that you fulfill it and you will be guilty of sin if you don't. 22 If you don't make such promises then you won't be guilty of sin. 23 But make sure to carry out what you've said to the Lord your God, because it was you who freely chose to make such a promise.
24 When you walk through your neighbor's vineyard, you can eat as many grapes as you want, but you must not collect any to take with you.
25 When you walk through your neighbor's grainfield, you may pick the ears of grain with your hand, but you must not use a sickle to harvest it.

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*23:2 “Mixed race”: the word is only used here and in Zechariah 9:6, and it's meaning is unclear. Some take it to mean “illegitimate,” and others “born of incest.”

†23:18 “Man”: the Hebrew uses the derogatory term, “dog.”

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher