Deuteronomy 24
1IF anyone hath taken a wife, and cohabited with her, and it should happen that she hath not found favour in his sight, because he hath found something unseemly in her, he may write her a bill of divorce, and put it into her hands, and send her away from his house.
2And having gone away, she may become another man’s wife.
3But if her last husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorce and put it in her hands and send her away from his house;
4or if her last husband, who hath taken her to wife, die; her former husband, who put her away, shall not be liberty to return and take her again to wife, for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God; and you must not defile the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for a possession.
5If any man hath lately taken a wife, he shall not go out to battle, nor shall he be charged with any business. He shall be free at home one year, that he may cheer his wife whom he hath taken.
6Thou shalt not take in pledge an upper, nor a lower millstone, for this is taking a man’s life in pledge.
7If any man be found stealing any of his brethren, the children of Israel, or, having got him in his power, selleth him, the thief shall be put to death. So shalt thou remove evil from among you.
8Take heed to thyself, that in the touch of the leprosy thou be very careful to act according to all the law which the priests, the Levites, may point out to you. Be careful to do in the manner I commanded you.
9Remember what the Lord thy God did to Mariam, on the way, as you were coming out of the land of Egypt.
10If a debt of any kind be due to thee from thy neighbour, thou shalt not go into his house to take his pledge.
11Thou shalt stand without, and the man who is thy debtor shall bring the pledge out to thee.
12And if the man be very poor, thou shalt not go to sleep with his pledge.
13Thou shalt surely restore him his pledge at the going down of the sun, that he may sleep in his garment, and bless thee, and there shall be mercy for thee in the sight of the Lord thy God.
14Thou shalt not withhold the wages of a poor and needy man, whether he be one of thy brethren, or of the strangers who are in thy cities.
15Thou shalt pay him his wages on the very day; let not the sun set upon it. For he is poor, and dependeth on it, and he will cry to the Lord against thee, and it will be a sin in thee.
16Fathers shall not be put to death for children; nor the children for fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
17Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, or the orphan, or the widow. Thou shalt not take the garment of a widow in pledge,
18but remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that thence the Lord thy God redeemed thee; therefore I command thee to do this thing.
19When thou reapest thy harvest in the field, if thou hast forgot a sheaf in thy field, thou shalt not turn back to take it up; it shall be for the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, that the Lord thy God may bless thee, in all the works of thy hands.
20And when thou gatherest thine olives, thou shalt not turn back to gather what was left behind thee: it shall be for the stranger and the orphan and the widow; and thou shalt remember that thou wast a stranger in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing.
21And when thou gatherest in the vintage, thou shalt not glean after thee. The gleanings shall be for the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow;
22and thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt; therefore I command thee to do this thing.