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Deuteronomy 25

If there is a controversy between men and they come to judgment, the judges will judge them, justify the righteous and condemn the wicked. If the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. He may give him forty stripes, and no more. If

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Judgment and the ox

If there is a controversy between men and they come to judgment, the judges will judge them, justify the righteous and condemn the wicked. If the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. He may give him forty stripes, and no more. If he exceeds that and beats him with many more stripes, then your brother would seem vile to you. Don't muzzle the ox when it's treading out the grain.

If there's an argument between men and they come to judgment, the judges will judge them and clear the righteous and condemn the wicked. And if the wicked man is owed a beating, the judge will make him lie down and be beaten in front of him, the number of blows his wrong deserves. He can give him forty blows and no more. If he goes past that and beats him with plenty more blows, then your brother would look cheap in your eyes. Don't muzzle the ox when it's treading out the grain.

If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

1

If there is a controversy between men and they come to judgment, the judges will judge them, justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

Plain English

If there's an argument between men and they come to judgment, the judges will judge them and clear the righteous and condemn the wicked.

King James Version, 1611

If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

2

If the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

Plain English

And if the wicked man is owed a beating, the judge will make him lie down and be beaten in front of him, the number of blows his wrong deserves.

King James Version, 1611

And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

3

He may give him forty stripes, and no more. If he exceeds that and beats him with many more stripes, then your brother would seem vile to you.

Plain English

He can give him forty blows and no more. If he goes past that and beats him with plenty more blows, then your brother would look cheap in your eyes.

King James Version, 1611

Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

4

Don't muzzle the ox when it's treading out the grain.

King James Version, 1611

Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

The brother's name

If brothers live together and one of them dies with no son, the dead man's wife won't marry a stranger outside. Her husband's brother will sleep with her and take her for his wife and do the duty of a husband's brother to her. The firstborn she bears will succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, so his name is not put out of Israel. If the man won't take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife will go up to the gate to the elders and say: My husband's brother won't raise up a name for his brother in Israel. He won't do the duty of a husband's brother to me. Then the elders of his city will call him and speak to him. And if he stands up and says, I don't want to take her — Then his brother's wife will come to him in the presence of the elders, loose his shoe from off his foot, spit in his face, and say, 'So will it be done to the man who won't build up his brother's house.' His name will be called in Israel, 'The house of him who has his shoe loosed.' When men are fighting each other and the wife of one comes near to save her husband out of the hand of the one hitting him, and puts out her hand and takes hold of his private parts — Then you'll cut off her hand. Your eye won't spare her.

If brothers live together and one of them dies with no son, the dead man's wife won't marry a stranger outside. Her husband's brother will go in to her and take her for his wife and do the duty of a husband's brother to her. And the firstborn she has will carry on in the name of his brother who's dead, so his name isn't wiped out of Israel. And if the man won't take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife will go up to the gate to the elders and say: My husband's brother won't raise up a name for his brother in Israel. He won't do the duty of a husband's brother to me. Then the elders of his town will call him and speak to him. And if he stands up and says, I don't want to take her — then his brother's wife will come to him in front of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she'll answer and say: That's what's done to the man who won't build up his brother's house. And his name will be called in Israel: The house of the one with the sandal pulled off. When men are fighting each other and the wife of one comes near to save her husband out of the hand of the one hitting him, and puts out her hand and takes hold of his private parts — then you'll cut off her hand. Your eye won't spare her.

If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed. When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.

5

If brothers live together and one of them dies with no son, the dead man's wife won't marry a stranger outside. Her husband's brother will sleep with her and take her for his wife and do the duty of a husband's brother to her.

Plain English

If brothers live together and one of them dies with no son, the dead man's wife won't marry a stranger outside. Her husband's brother will go in to her and take her for his wife and do the duty of a husband's brother to her.

King James Version, 1611

If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.

6

The firstborn she bears will succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, so his name is not put out of Israel.

Plain English

And the firstborn she has will carry on in the name of his brother who's dead, so his name isn't wiped out of Israel.

King James Version, 1611

And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

7

If the man won't take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife will go up to the gate to the elders and say: My husband's brother won't raise up a name for his brother in Israel. He won't do the duty of a husband's brother to me.

Plain English

And if the man won't take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife will go up to the gate to the elders and say: My husband's brother won't raise up a name for his brother in Israel. He won't do the duty of a husband's brother to me.

King James Version, 1611

And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.

8

Then the elders of his city will call him and speak to him. And if he stands up and says, I don't want to take her —

Plain English

Then the elders of his town will call him and speak to him. And if he stands up and says, I don't want to take her —

King James Version, 1611

Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

9

Then his brother's wife will come to him in the presence of the elders, loose his shoe from off his foot, spit in his face, and say, 'So will it be done to the man who won't build up his brother's house.'

Plain English

then his brother's wife will come to him in front of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she'll answer and say: That's what's done to the man who won't build up his brother's house.

King James Version, 1611

Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.

10

His name will be called in Israel, 'The house of him who has his shoe loosed.'

Plain English

And his name will be called in Israel: The house of the one with the sandal pulled off.

King James Version, 1611

And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

11

When men are fighting each other and the wife of one comes near to save her husband out of the hand of the one hitting him, and puts out her hand and takes hold of his private parts —

King James Version, 1611

When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:

12

Then you'll cut off her hand. Your eye won't spare her.

Plain English

then you'll cut off her hand. Your eye won't spare her.

King James Version, 1611

Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.

Honest weights; remember Amalek

Don't have two different weights in your bag, a heavy one and a light one. Do not have in your house different measures, a great and a small. You'll have a full and honest weight, and a full and honest measure — so your days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Everyone who does such things, and everyone who acts unrighteously, is disgusting to the Lord your God. Remember what Amalek did to you on the road when you came out of Egypt — Remember how he met you by the way and struck the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God. So when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around, in the land the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess — you'll destroy the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Don't forget it.

Don't have two different weights in your bag, a heavy one and a light one. Don't have two different measures in your house, a big one and a small one. You'll have a full and honest weight, and a full and honest measure — so your days are made long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Because everyone who does these things, everyone who deals crooked, is disgusting to the Lord your God. Remember what Amalek did to you on the road when you came out of Egypt — how he met you on the road and cut down at your back all the ones who were straggling behind, when you were worn out and tired. And he didn't fear God. So when the Lord your God has given you rest from all the ones against you round about, in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to own — you'll wipe out the memory of Amalek from under the sky. Don't forget it.

Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

13

Don't have two different weights in your bag, a heavy one and a light one.

King James Version, 1611

Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.

14

Do not have in your house different measures, a great and a small.

Plain English

Don't have two different measures in your house, a big one and a small one.

King James Version, 1611

Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.

15

You'll have a full and honest weight, and a full and honest measure — so your days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Plain English

You'll have a full and honest weight, and a full and honest measure — so your days are made long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

King James Version, 1611

But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

16

Everyone who does such things, and everyone who acts unrighteously, is disgusting to the Lord your God.

Plain English

Because everyone who does these things, everyone who deals crooked, is disgusting to the Lord your God.

King James Version, 1611

For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

17

Remember what Amalek did to you on the road when you came out of Egypt —

King James Version, 1611

Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

18

Remember how he met you by the way and struck the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God.

Plain English

how he met you on the road and cut down at your back all the ones who were straggling behind, when you were worn out and tired. And he didn't fear God.

King James Version, 1611

How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

19

So when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around, in the land the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess — you'll destroy the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Don't forget it.

Plain English

So when the Lord your God has given you rest from all the ones against you round about, in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to own — you'll wipe out the memory of Amalek from under the sky. Don't forget it.

King James Version, 1611

Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.