Exodus 23

1 “You shall not [under any circumstances] spread a false [deceitful] report [or rumor]. Do not [by any means] join the [morally wrong, wicked] wicked by being a malicious [unrighteous] witness [to give false testimony]. word study 2 You shall not follow [the majority, a multitude] the crowd in [moral or natural] wrongdoing. When you testify [give evidence, respond] in a lawsuit, do not pervert [turn aside, wrest] justice by siding [to decline after, agree with] with the crowd [many, a great number]. word study 3 And do not show [countenance, esteem, or favor] favoritism [partiality, or special treatment] to a poor [needy, weak, or disadvantaged] man [person, or individual] in his lawsuit [cause, dispute, or strife]. word study 4 If you encounter [meet by chance or intention] your enemy’s [one who hates or opposes you] stray [going astray, wandering] ox [cattle, like bulls] or [as an alternative] donkey [a male donkey], you must return [to turn back, restore] it to him [its rightful owner]. word study 5 If you see [with compassion, notice] the donkey [a beast of burden] of one who hates [feels intense dislike, is hostile towards] you fallen [lying, stretched out] under its load [burden, weight], do not leave [abandon, forsake] it there; you must help [assist, support] him with it [together, in cooperation]. word study 6 You shall not [absolutely refuse] deny justice [righteous judgment] to the poor [needy, oppressed, or destitute ones] in their lawsuits [disputes, causes, or strife]. word study 7 Stay far away [at a great distance, completely removed] from a false accusation [deception, lying words]. Do not kill [slay, take the life of] the innocent [morally clean, guiltless] or the just [righteous, upright], for I will not acquit [justify, declare righteous] the guilty [wicked, morally wrong]. word study 8 Do not [under any circumstances] accept a bribe [a gift to influence, a reward], for a bribe [a present to pervert justice] blinds [makes spiritually blind, deceives] those who see [the discerning, the perceptive] and twists [perverts, corrupts] the words [statements, testimonies] of the righteous [the just, the upright]. word study 9 Do not [mistreat or abuse] oppress a foreign resident [sojourner, stranger], since you yourselves know [are aware of, understand] how it feels to be [treated as] foreigners [sojourners, aliens]; for you were [once] foreigners [sojourners, living in a strange land] in the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. word study 10 For [a period of completion] six years you are to sow [plant seeds, scatter] your land [the earth, a country] and gather [bring together, harvest] its produce [crops, fruit, revenue], word study 11 but in the seventh year you must let it rest [cease from labor, be unplanted] and lie fallow [be still, unreaped], so that the poor [needy, oppressed] among your people may eat [consume, be nourished] from the field [the land, a place of cultivation] and the wild animals [beasts of the field, creatures] may consume [eat, devour] what they leave [the remainder, excess]. Do the same [thus, in like manner] with your vineyard [a garden of vines, a place of fruitfulness] and olive grove [a place of olive trees]. word study 12 For six [a period of time consisting of six days] days you are to do your work [labor, daily tasks], but on the seventh day [a day of rest] you must cease [to rest, stop working], so that your ox [cattle, domesticated animals] and your donkey [domesticated beast of burden] may rest [be refreshed, have a break] and the son [offspring, descendant] of your maidservant [female servant, bondwoman] may be refreshed [renewed, revitalized], as well as the foreign resident [sojourner, stranger]. word study 13 Pay close attention [be circumspect, take heed] to everything [all things] I have said [spoken, commanded] to you [toward you]. You must not invoke [mention, call upon] the names [identities, reputations] of other [different, foreign] gods [deities, divine beings]; they must not be heard [uttered, spoken] on your lips [mouth, edge]. word study 14 Three [thrice, a complete set] times a year [a period of twelve months, a cycle of seasons] you are to celebrate [observe, keep with dancing or procession] a feast [festival, special gathering] to Me [as an act of worship, in My honor]. word study 15 You are to keep [observe, celebrate] the Feast [festival, sacred assembly] of Unleavened Bread [sweet bread without yeast] as I commanded [instructed, appointed] you: At the appointed time [meeting, sacred season] in the month [lunar cycle] of Abib [young barley emerges, March or April] you are to eat [devour, consume] unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month [time, season] you came out [departed, escaped] of Egypt [a land of bondage, oppression]. No one may appear [stand, present themselves] before Me [in My presence, face to face] empty-handed [without an offering, lacking tribute]. word study 16 You are also to keep the Feast [festival, celebration] of Harvest [the time of reaping, gathering in] with the firstfruits [the first and best, the choicest part] of the produce from what you sow [plant, scatter seed] in the field [a cultivated area, a place of growth]. And keep the Feast [a time of gathering, ingathering] of Ingathering [the harvest, the time of collecting] at the end of the year [a cycle of time, a season], when you gather [collect, bring in] your produce [the fruit of your labor, the results of your work] from the field [the land, the earth]. word study 17 Three [thrice, a complete set of times] times a year [season, annual cycle] all [every single one] your males [men, male persons] are to appear [present themselves, come before] before [toward, in the presence of] the Lord [the sovereign Master, ʼâdôwn] GOD [Yehovah, the national God of Israel]. word study 18 You must not [under any circumstances] offer the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] of My sacrifices [acts of worship and devotion] with anything leavened [containing yeast], nor may the fat [the richest and best part] of My feast [festival, celebration] remain [be left overnight] until morning [the break of day, a new beginning]. word study 19 Bring the best [first and choicest] of the firstfruits [the initial harvest, the first yield] of your soil [land, earth, ground] to the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God]. You must not [absolutely not, under no circumstances] cook [boil, seethe] a young goat [kid, juvenile goat] in its mother’s [female parent, maternal figure] milk. word study 20 Behold [look, see], I am sending [to dispatch, to commission] an angel [messenger, divine representative] before you to protect [to keep, to guard] you along the way [the path, the journey] and to bring [to lead, to guide] you to the place [location, destination] I have prepared [established, set in order]. word study 21 Pay attention [be watchful, beware] to him and listen [hearken, obey] to his voice [sound, word]; do not [by no means] defy [provoke, rebel against] him, for he will not [under no circumstances] forgive [pardon, spare] rebellion [transgression, disobedience], since My Name [My identity, character] is in him [within his heart, as his authority]. word study 22 But if you will listen [obey, hearken] carefully to his voice [the sound of God’s speaking] and do [make, perform] everything I say [speak, command], I will be an enemy [adversary, opposed to] to your enemies [those who hate you] and a foe [one who resists, fights against] to your foes [those who afflict you]. word study 23 For My angel [messenger, divine representative] will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites [descendants of Canaan], Hittites [people of Heth], Perizzites [inhabitants of the countryside], Canaanites [merchants and traders], Hivites [ancient tribe in Palestine], and Jebusites [inhabitants of Jebus, early Jerusalem], and I will annihilate [cut off, destroy completely] them. word study 24 You must not [under any circumstances] bow down [prostrate yourself, worship] to their gods [idols, false deities] or serve [obey, follow] them or follow [imitate, practice] their practices [customs, rituals]. Instead, you are to [completely, utterly] demolish [overthrow, tear down] them and smash [break, shatter] their sacred stones [pillars, monuments] to pieces. word study 25 So you shall serve [worship, obey] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God], and He will bless [praise, honor] your bread [food, grain] and your water [liquid, source of refreshment]. And I will take away [remove, turn aside] sickness [disease, physical ailments] from among [the midst of] you. word study 26 No woman [nor any female animal] in your land [country, territory] will miscarry [have a premature birth, be bereaved] or be barren [sterile, unable to have children]; I will fulfill [complete, make full] the number [quantity, span] of your days [lifetime, years]. word study 27 I will send My terror [fear, dread] ahead of you and throw into confusion [discomfit, destroy] every nation you encounter [come against, meet]. I will make all your enemies [adversaries, those who oppose] turn [turn their backs, flee] and run [in flight, hastily]. word study 28 I will send [dispatch, drive out with] the hornet [a type of wasp that stings] before you to drive [expel, thrust out] the Hivites [a member of an ancient tribe in Palestine, descended from Canaan] and Canaanites [merchants and traders from the land of Canaan] and Hittites [descendants of Heth, a man who lived during the time of the Patriarchs] out of [from before, away from] your way [presence, face]. word study 29 I will not [under no circumstances] drive them out [expel, cast out] before you [from your presence, in your sight] in a single [one, united] year; otherwise [lest, for fear that] the land [earth, territory] would become [come to be, exist as] desolate [wasted, devastated] and wild animals [beasts of the field, creatures] would multiply [increase, abound] against you [upon you, in opposition to you]. word study 30 Little by little [gradually, bit by bit] I will drive them out [expel, force out] ahead of you, until you become [are increased, flourish] fruitful [productive, bearing much fruit] and possess [inherit, take ownership of] the land [the promised territory, the earth]. word study 31 And I will establish [set, fix, determine] your borders [boundaries, territories] from the Red Sea [the sea of reeds, the Gulf of Aqaba] to the Sea of the Philistines [the Mediterranean Sea, the sea of the foreigners], and from the desert [the wilderness, the uninhabited land] to the Euphrates [the great river, the river of abundance]. For I will deliver [give, hand over] the inhabitants [those who dwell, the residents] into your hand [your power, your control], and you will drive them out [expel, thrust out] before you [from your presence, out of your sight]. word study 32 You shall make [not enter into, have no agreement] no covenant [promise, treaty, or alliance] with them [the surrounding nations] or with their gods [idols, false deities, or Elohim]. word study 33 They must not remain [dwell, stay, or reside] in your land [country, territory, or region], lest [beware that, be cautious] they cause you to sin [miss the mark, go wrong, or rebel] against Me. For [because, since] if you serve [worship, obey, or work for] their gods [idols, false deities, or Elohim], it will surely [certainly, undoubtedly] be a snare [trap, pitfall, or entanglement] to you.” word study