Deuteronomy 23

1 No [not at all, under no circumstances] man [male person, individual] with crushed [wounded, bruised] or severed [cut off, mutilated] genitals [private parts, reproductive organs] may enter [come into, join] the assembly [congregation, gathering] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. word study 2 No one of illegitimate [bastard] birth [whose parents were not married, a mamzer] may enter the assembly [congregation] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], nor may any of his descendants [family, offspring], even to the tenth generation [extending to the tenth]. word study 3 No Ammonite [a descendant of Lot] or Moabite [a nation related to Israel] or any of their descendants [to the tenth generation, forever] may enter [come into, join] the assembly [congregation, gathering] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], even to the tenth generation. word study 4 For they did not [failed to, were unwilling to] meet you with food [bread and water, provisions for your journey] and water [refreshment and sustenance] on your way [journey, path] out of Egypt [the land of bondage, slavery], and they hired [employed, commissioned] Balaam [the son of Beor, a prophet for hire] son of Beor [a man from Pethor] from Pethor [a city in Aram-naharaim, a region in Mesopotamia] in Aram-naharaim [the land between the rivers, a region in Mesopotamia] to curse [to pronounce a divine judgment against, to revile] you [the people of Israel, God’s chosen nation]. word study 5 Yet the LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God] your God would not listen [refuse to hear, be unwilling to obey] to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned [transformed, changed] the curse [a pronouncement of judgment, a divine condemnation] into a blessing [a divine favor, a gift of grace] for you, because the LORD your God loves [has a deep affection for, is devoted to] you. word study 6 You are not [to be unwilling, to refuse] to seek [pursue, strive for] peace [prosperity, well-being, harmony] or [nor, not, excluding] prosperity [success, flourishing, good fortune] from them [the nations, the unbelievers] as long as you live [all your days, forever, throughout your lifetime]. word study 7 Do not [abhor, despise utterly] despise an Edomite [your brother, a descendant of Esau], for he is your brother [a relative, a kin]. Do not [abhor, reject] despise an Egyptian [a former host, one who provided for you], because you lived as a foreigner [a sojourner, a stranger] in his land [the country, the territory]. word study 8 The third [from the time of their ancestors] generation of children born [descendants] to them [Edomites and Egyptians, as sojourners] may enter [be included among, allowed to worship with] the assembly [congregation, gathering] of the LORD [Yahweh, the covenant God]. word study 9 When you are encamped [in an army camp, living in tents] against your enemies [those who oppose you], then you shall keep [guard, protect] yourself from every [all, any] wicked [evil, unjust] thing [action, behavior]. word study 10 If any man [a soldier, any person] among you becomes unclean [defiled, impure] because of a nocturnal emission [a release of semen, an accidental discharge], he must leave [go out, depart from] the camp [the Israelites’ encampments, a group of people] and stay outside [remain apart, not come within]. word study 11 When [toward the end of the day, in the evening] evening approaches, he must [bathe himself in] wash with water [to purify himself, for ceremonial cleansing], and when the sun sets [goes down, is down] he may return to the [Israelite, military] camp. word study 12 You must have a place [outside the tent-circle, beyond the camp] outside the camp to go [to relieve yourself, for the necessities of nature] and relieve yourself [to wash, to go forth abroad]. word study 13 And you must have a digging tool [a paddle or spade] in your equipment [among your weapons or arms] so that when you relieve yourself [ease yourself or go to the bathroom] you can dig a hole [outside or abroad] and cover up your excrement [that which cometh from thee or your filth]. word study 14 For the LORD [Yehovah, the divine Savior] your God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] walks [is present, dwells] throughout your camp [gathering, army] to protect [guard, keep safe] you and deliver [give over, hand over] your enemies [those who oppose, adversaries] to you. Your camp [dwelling place, community] must be holy [set apart, consecrated], lest [so that not, in order that not] He see [perceive, behold] anything unclean [impure, filthy] among you and turn away [withdraw, depart] from you. word study 15 Do not [under any circumstances, never] return a slave [servant, bondservant] to his master [owner, lord] if he has taken [fled, escaped] refuge [sought protection, asylum] with you [to you, unto thee]. word study 16 Let him live [dwell, reside] among you wherever he chooses [in one of thy gates], in the town [city, place] of his pleasing [where it liketh him best]. Do not [thou shalt not] oppress [mistreat, vex] him [the servant, slave]. word study 17 No [female or male] daughter or son of Israel [as God’s chosen people] is to be a [cultic, temple] shrine prostitute [engaging in immoral worship, a whore of the daughters of Israel]. word study 18 You must not bring the wages [hire, payment] of a prostitute [cult prostitute, harlot], whether female [a female temple worker] or male [a dog, a male cult prostitute], into the house [temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [the one true God, Elohim] to fulfill [pay, complete] any vow [promise, oath], because both [these practices] are detestable [an abomination, hateful] to the LORD [the God of Israel] your God. word study 19 Do not [under any circumstances] charge your brother [a fellow Israelite, a member of God’s covenant community] interest [usury, excessive or unfair gain] on money [silver, financial resources], food [necessities, sustenance], or any other type [kind, category] of loan [lending, credit]. word study 20 You may charge a foreigner [from a different nation, a non-Israelite] interest [usury, excessive rates], but not your brother [a fellow Israelite, a close relative], so that the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God may bless you in everything [all your endeavors, every activity] to which you put your hand [apply your efforts, undertake] in the land [the promised territory, Canaan] that you are entering [about to possess, taking ownership] to possess [occupy, inhabit]. word study 21 If you make a vow [promise, solemn oath] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God, do not be slow [delay, put off] to keep it, because He will surely require [demand, expect] it of you, and you will be guilty of sin [morally accountable, liable to punishment]. word study 22 But if you refrain [hold back, abstain] from making a vow [a promise to God, a sacred pledge], you will not be guilty [accountable, responsible] of sin [missing the mark, rebellion against God]. word study 23 Be careful [mindful, attentive] to follow through on what comes from your lips [the words you speak, your promises], because you have freely [voluntarily, willingly] vowed [made a promise, pledged] to the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] your God [the supreme Being, your Creator] with your own mouth [by your own words, intentionally]. word study 24 When you enter [come into, walk through] your neighbor’s [fellow Israelite’s, the one near you] vineyard, you may eat [take and eat, gather] your fill [satisfy your appetite, as much as you desire] of grapes, but you must not [shall not, are not allowed to] put [gather, take] any in your basket [vessel, container]. word study 25 When you enter [come into, walk through] your neighbor’s [friend’s, companion’s] grainfield [standing corn, field of grain], you may pluck [pick, gather] the heads of grain [ears of grain] with your hand [by hand, manually], but you must not [shall not] put [use, move] a sickle [blade, harvesting tool] to your neighbor’s [friend’s, companion’s] grain [standing corn, crop]. word study