Deuteronomy 25

1 If there is a [controversy, strife] dispute between men [individuals, people], they are to go to court [a place of judgment] to be judged [evaluated, tried], so that the innocent [righteous] may be acquitted [declared not guilty, freed] and the guilty [wicked] condemned [declared wrong, punished]. word study 2 If the guilty man [wicked, morally wrong] deserves to be beaten [to undergo punishment by whipping, smitten], the judge [one who governs, vindicates] shall have him lie down [to fall, be defeated] and be flogged [struck, hit] in his presence [face, before him] with the number of lashes [sufficiency, according to his wickedness] his crime [wrongdoing, wickedness] warrants [deserves, is worthy of]. word study 3 He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest [beware that, be cautious] your brother [male sibling, close relative, or friend] be beaten [struck, hit] any more than that [beyond these forty] and be degraded [treated with contempt, dishonored] in your sight [before your eyes, in your presence]. word study 4 Do not [refuse to allow, prohibit] muzzle [stop up, prevent from eating] an ox [cattle, a working animal] while it is treading [walking on, trampling] out the grain [corn, crops]. word study 5 When brothers [living together in unity, as one family] dwell together and one of them [a single individual, a lone person] dies without a son [a male child, an heir], the widow [the wife of the deceased, a woman left alone] must not marry outside the family [to a stranger, a foreigner, or someone unrelated]. Her husband’s brother [the brother of her late husband, her brother-in-law] is to take her as his wife [to marry her, to become her husband] and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law [to perform the levirate marriage, to care for her] for her. word study 6 The first son [firstborn, initial offspring] she bears [gives birth to, begets] will carry on [succeed in, rise up for] the name [identity, reputation] of the dead [deceased, late] brother [male sibling, close relative], so that his name [identity, honor] will not be [never is] blotted out [erased, wiped away] from Israel [the community of God’s people]. word study 7 But if the man [refuses to] does not want to marry his brother’s widow [sister-in-law, the wife of his brother], she is to go to the elders [responsible men, leaders] at the city gate [central meeting place, entrance] and say, “My husband’s brother [brother-in-law, relative] refuses [will not, is unwilling] to preserve [raise up, keep alive] his brother’s name [reputation, legacy] in Israel [the community of God’s people]. He is not willing [does not consent, is not pleased] to perform [carry out, fulfill] the duty [obligation, responsibility] of a brother-in-law [husband’s brother, relative] for me [on my behalf].” word study 8 Then the elders [old, experienced leaders] of his city [a place with a wall or a watchman, a settlement] shall summon [to call out to, invite] him and speak [to communicate, converse] with him. If he persists [to stand firm, refuse to change] and says [to express, declare], “I do not [absence, negation] want [to delight in, be pleased with] to marry [to take, join with] her [the widow, the woman in need],” word study 9 his brother’s widow [sister-in-law, the wife of his brother] shall go up to him in the presence [before the eyes] of the elders [old, responsible men], remove [loose, take off] his sandal [shoe], spit [show contempt] in his face [presence, before him], and declare [say, answer], “This is what is done [thus, in this way] to the man [male person, individual] who will not maintain [build up, establish] his brother’s [male sibling, close relative] line [house, family].” word study 10 And his family name [the house of his descendants, lineage] in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants] will be called [to proclaim, invoke] “The House [dwelling place, family] of the Unsandaled [the one whose shoe is loosed, removed].” word study 11 If two men [individuals, persons] are fighting [striving, struggling together], and the wife [woman, female partner] of one steps in to rescue [deliver, save] her husband from the one striking [hitting, smiting] him, and she reaches out her hand [openly, with intention] and grabs [seizes, lays hold of] his genitals [private parts, secrets, shameful members], word study 12 you are to cut off [completely sever, remove] her hand [palm, the instrument of action]. You must show [have, demonstrate] her no [absolutely not, none] pity [compassion, mercy, kindness, to spare]. word study 13 You shall not have [divers, different kinds of] two differing weights [stones, a great and a small] in your bag [purse, container for money or weights], one heavy [great, large] and one light [small, insignificant]. word study 14 You shall not [under any circumstances] have two differing [diverse, unlike] measures [units of quantity, standards] in your house [dwelling place, family home], one large [great, abundant] and one small [insignificant, limited]. word study 15 You must maintain [true and fair, perfect and just] accurate and honest weights [stones, measures of value] and measures [ephahs, units of quantity], so that you may live [have a long and blessed life] long in the land [the earth, the promised inheritance] that the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] is giving [providing, bestowing as a gift] you. word study 16 For everyone who behaves [in a way that is morally wrong, unrighteously] dishonestly [with deceit, unfairly] in regard to these things [specific actions, matters] is [considered to be] detestable [an abomination, disgusting] to the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study 17 Remember [keep in mind, recall to memory] what the Amalekites [a descendant of Esau, enemies of Israel] did [made, committed] to you along your way [path, journey] from Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], word study 18 how they met you on your journey [by the way, during your travels] when you were tired [faint, weary] and weary [exhausted, spent], and they attacked [cut off, smote] all your stragglers [the hindmost, those feeble behind]; they had no fear [did not reverence, were not afraid] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study 19 When the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God gives you rest [to settle down and remain in one place, a state of peace] from the enemies [those who hate or oppose you] around you in the land [a country, territory, or region] that He is giving you to possess [to take control of, to occupy] as an inheritance [a gift or legacy passed down], you are to blot out [to erase or wipe away] the memory [a remembrance or reminder] of Amalek [a descendant of Esau and enemy of the Israelites] from under heaven [the visible universe and abode of God]. Do not forget [to be oblivious to or mislay]! word study