1Suppose a man marries a woman. But later he decides he doesn’t like her. He finds something shameful about her. So he gives her a letter of divorce and sends her away from his house. 2Then after she leaves his house she becomes another man’s wife. 3But her second husband doesn’t like her either. So he gives her a letter of divorce and sends her away from his house. Or perhaps he dies. 4Then her first husband isn’t allowed to marry her again. The Lord would hate that. When her first husband divorced her, she became “unclean.” Don’t bring sin on the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own.
5Suppose a man has just married his wife. Then don’t send him into battle. Don’t give him any other duty either. He’s free to stay home for one year. He needs time to make his new wife happy.
6Someone might borrow money from you and give you two millstones to keep until you are paid back. Don’t keep them. Don’t even keep the upper one. That person needs both millstones to make a living.
7Suppose someone is caught kidnapping another Israelite. And they sell or treat that person as a slave. Then the kidnapper must die. Get rid of that evil person.
8What about skin diseases? Be very careful to do exactly what the priests, who are Levites, tell you to do. You must be careful to obey the commands I’ve given them. 9Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your way out of Egypt.
10Suppose your neighbor borrows something from you. And he offers you something to keep until you get paid back. Then don’t go into their house to get it. 11Stay outside. Let the neighbor bring it out to you. 12The neighbor might be poor. You might be given their coat to keep until you get paid back. Don’t go to sleep while you still have it. 13Return it before the sun goes down. They need it to sleep in and will thank you for returning it. The Lord your God will see it and know that you have done the right thing.
14Don’t take advantage of any hired worker who is poor and needy. That applies to your own people. It also applies to outsiders living in one of your towns. 15Give them their pay every day. They are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t pay them, they might cry out to the Lord against you. Then you will be guilty of committing a sin.
16Parents must not be put to death because of what their children do. And children must not be put to death because of what their parents do. People must die because of their own sins.
17Do what is right and fair for outsiders and for children whose fathers have died. Suppose a widow borrows something from you. And she offers to give you her coat until she pays you back. Don’t take it. 18Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. Remember that the Lord your God set you free from there. That’s why I’m commanding you to do those things.
19When you are gathering crops in your field, you might leave some grain behind by mistake. Don’t go back to get it. Leave it behind for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. 20When you knock olives off your trees, don’t go back over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. 21When you pick grapes in your vineyard, don’t go back over the vines a second time. Leave what remains for outsiders and widows. Leave it for children whose fathers have died. 22Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That’s why I’m commanding you to do these things.
1»Si un hombre se casa con una mujer, pero luego deja de quererla por haber encontrado en ella algo indecoroso, solo podrá despedirla si le entrega un certificado de divorcio. 2Una vez que ella salga de la casa, podrá casarse con otro hombre.
3»Si ocurre que el segundo esposo le toma aversión, y también le extiende un certificado de divorcio y la despide de su casa, o si el segundo esposo muere, 4el primer esposo no podrá casarse con ella de nuevo, pues habrá quedado impura. Eso sería abominable a los ojos del Señor.
»No perviertas la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da como herencia.
5»No envíes a la guerra a ningún hombre recién casado, ni le impongas ningún otro deber. Tendrá libre todo un año para atender su casa y hacer feliz a la mujer que tomó por esposa.
6»Si alguien se endeuda contigo, no tomes como prenda su molino de mano ni su piedra de moler, porque sería lo mismo que arrebatarle su propia subsistencia.
7»Si se descubre que alguien ha secuestrado a uno de sus hermanos israelitas, y lo trata como esclavo, o lo vende, el secuestrador morirá. Así extirparás el mal que haya en medio de ti.
8»Cuando se trate de una infección de la piel,24:8 una infección de la piel. Tradicionalmente lepra. ten mucho cuidado de seguir las instrucciones de los sacerdotes levitas. Sigue al pie de la letra todo lo que te he mandado. 9Recuerda lo que el Señor tu Dios hizo con Miriam mientras andaban peregrinando, después de que el pueblo salió de Egipto.
10»Cuando le hagas un préstamo a tu prójimo, no entres en su casa ni tomes lo que te ofrezca en prenda. 11Quédate afuera y deja que él mismo te entregue la prenda. 12Si es pobre y en prenda te ofrece su manto, no se lo retengas durante la noche. 13Devuélveselo antes de la puesta del sol, para que se cubra con él durante la noche. Así estará él agradecido contigo, y tú habrás actuado con justicia a los ojos del Señor tu Dios.
14»No te aproveches del empleado pobre y necesitado, sea este un compatriota israelita o un extranjero. 15Le pagarás su jornal cada día, antes de la puesta del sol, porque es pobre y cuenta solo con ese dinero. De lo contrario, él clamará al Señor contra ti y tú resultarás convicto de pecado.
16»No se dará muerte a los padres por la culpa de sus hijos, ni se dará muerte a los hijos por la culpa de sus padres. Cada uno morirá por su propio pecado.
17»No le niegues sus derechos al extranjero ni al huérfano, ni tomes en prenda el manto de la viuda. 18Recuerda que fuiste esclavo en Egipto, y que el Señor tu Dios te sacó de allí. Por eso te ordeno que actúes con justicia.
19»Cuando recojas la cosecha de tu campo y olvides una gavilla, no vuelvas a por ella. Déjala para el extranjero, el huérfano y la viuda. Así el Señor tu Dios bendecirá todo el trabajo de tus manos.
20»Cuando sacudas tus olivos, no rebusques en las ramas; las aceitunas que queden, déjalas para el extranjero, el huérfano y la viuda.
21»Cuando coseches las uvas de tu viña, no repases las ramas; los racimos que queden, déjalos para el inmigrante, el huérfano y la viuda.
22»Recuerda que fuiste esclavo en Egipto. Por eso te ordeno que actúes con justicia.
