דברים כ״ג

^aThis verse is labeled as 22.30 in some editions, and chapter 23 starts with the next verse. No man shall marry his father’s former wife, so as to remove his father’s garment.^bremove his father’s garment I.e., lay claim to what his father had possessed. Cf. Lev. 18.8; 20.11; Ezek. 16.8; Ruth 3.9. No [man] whose testes are crushed or whose member is cut off shall be admitted into the congregation^ccongregation Gender force of Heb. qahal uncertain; cf. 5.19; 31.30; Josh. 8.35. of GOD. No one misbegotten^dmisbegotten Meaning of Heb. mamzer uncertain; in Jewish law, the offspring of adultery or incest between Jews. Social-gender force uncertain. shall be admitted into the congregation of GOD; no descendant of such, even in the tenth generation, shall be admitted into the congregation of GOD. No Ammonite or Moabite^eNo Ammonite or Moabite Gender force uncertain; cf. 1 Kings 11.1–2. shall be admitted into the congregation of GOD; no descendants of such, even in the tenth generation, shall ever be admitted into the congregation of GOD, because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, to curse you.— But the ETERNAL your God refused to heed Balaam; instead, the ETERNAL your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, for the ETERNAL your God loves you.— You shall never concern yourself with their welfare or benefit as long as you live. You shall not abhor an Edomite, for they are your kin. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in their land. Children born to them may be admitted into the congregation of GOD in the third generation.^fin the third generation Of residence in Israel’s territory. When you^gyou See note at 20.1. go out as a troop against your enemies, be on your guard against anything untoward. If anyone among you has been rendered impure by a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp, and he must not reenter the camp. Toward evening he shall bathe in water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp. Further, there shall be an area for you outside the camp, where you may relieve yourself. With your gear you shall have a spike, and when you have squatted you shall dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement. Since the ETERNAL your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you, let your camp be holy; let [God] not find anything unseemly among you and turn away from you. You shall not turn over to his master a (male) slave who seeks refuge with you from his master. He shall live with you in any place he may choose among the settlements in your midst, wherever he pleases; you must not ill-treat him. No Israelite woman shall be a consecrated worker,^hconsecrated worker Or “retainer”; meaning of Heb. qedeshah uncertain. In contrast to others “cult prostitute.” nor shall any Israelite man be a consecrated worker.ⁱconsecrated worker Meaning of Heb. qadesh uncertain. See previous note. You shall not bring the fee of a whore or the pay of a dog^jpay of a dog Perhaps the earnings of a male prostitute. Or “price of a dog.” Force of Heb. uncertain. into the house of the ETERNAL your God in fulfillment of any vow, for both are abhorrent to the ETERNAL your God. You shall not deduct interest from loans to your fellow Israelites, whether in money or food or anything else that can be deducted as interest; but you may deduct interest from loans to foreigners. Do not deduct interest from loans to your fellow Israelites, so that the ETERNAL your God may bless you in all your undertakings in the land that you are about to enter and possess. When you make a vow to the ETERNAL your God, do not put off fulfilling it, for the ETERNAL your God will require it of you, and you will have incurred guilt; whereas you incur no guilt if you refrain from vowing. You must fulfill what has crossed your lips and perform what you have voluntarily vowed to the ETERNAL your God, having made the promise with your own mouth. When you enter a fellow Israelite’s vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you want, until you are full, but you must not put any in your vessel. When you enter a fellow Israelite’s field of standing grain, you may pluck ears with your hand; but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain.