Laws About Social Justice

Exodus 22

16 `And when a man doth entice a virgin who [is] not betrothed, and hath lain with her, he doth certainly endow her to himself for a wife; 17 if her father utterly refuse to give her to him, money he doth weigh out according to the dowry of virgins.

18 `A witch thou dost not keep alive.

19 `Whoever lieth with a beast is certainly put to death.

20 `He who is sacrificing to a god, save to Jehovah alone, is devoted.

21 `And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, nor crush him, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt. 22 `Any widow or orphan ye do not afflict; 23 if thou dost really afflict him, surely if he at all cry unto Me, I certainly hear his cry; 24 and Mine anger hath burned, and I have slain you by the sword, and your wives have been widows, and your sons orphans.

25 `If thou dost lend My poor people with thee money, thou art not to him as a usurer; thou dost not lay on him usury; 26 if thou dost at all take in pledge the garment of thy neighbour, during the going in of the sun thou dost return it to him: 27 for it alone is his covering, it [is] his garment for his skin; wherein doth he lie down? and it hath come to pass, when he doth cry unto Me, that I have heard, for I [am] gracious.

28 `God thou dost not revile, and a prince among thy people thou dost not curse.

29 `Thy fulness and thy liquids thou dost not delay; the first-born of thy sons thou dost give to Me; 30 so thou dost to thine ox, to thy sheep; seven days it is with its dam, on the eighth day thou dost give it to Me.

31 `And ye are holy men to Me, and flesh torn in the field ye do not eat, to a dog ye do cast it.

Exodus 23

1 `Thou dost not lift up a vain report; thou dost not put thy hand with a wicked man to be a violent witness. 2 `Thou art not after many to evil, nor dost thou testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause [others] to turn aside; 3 and a poor man thou dost not honour in his strife.

4 `When thou meetest thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou dost certainly turn it back to him; 5 when thou seest the ass of him who is hating thee crouching under its burden, then thou hast ceased from leaving [it] to it -- thou dost certainly leave [it] with him.

6 `Thou dost not turn aside the judgment of thy needy one in his strife; 7 from a false matter thou dost keep far off, and an innocent and righteous man thou dost not slay; for I do not justify a wicked man. 8 `And a bribe thou dost not take; for the bribe bindeth the open-[eyed], and perverteth the words of the righteous.

9 `And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, and ye -- ye have known the soul of the sojourner, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt.

Next Book Next Book