22"If someone steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, the thief must pay back five oxen for each ox stolen, and four sheep for each sheep stolen.H376H1589H7794H7716H2873H4376H7999H2568H1241H7794H702H6629H77162"If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder.H1590H4672H4290H5221H4191H18183But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder. "A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft.H8121H2224H1818H7999H7999H4376H15914If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief's possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal.H1591H4672H4672H3027H2416H7794H2543H7716H7999H81475"If an animal is grazing in a field or vineyard and the owner lets it stray into someone else's field to graze, then the animal's owner must pay compensation from the best of his own grain or grapes.H376H7704H3754H1197H7971H1165H1197H312H7704H4315H7704H4315H3754H79996"If you are burning thornbushes and the fire gets out of control and spreads into another person's field, destroying the sheaves or the uncut grain or the whole crop, the one who started the fire must pay for the lost crop.H784H3318H4672H6975H1430H7054H7704H398H1197H1200H7999H79997"Suppose someone leaves money or goods with a neighbor for safekeeping, and they are stolen from the neighbor's house. If the thief is caught, the compensation is double the value of what was stolen.H376H5414H7453H3701H3627H8104H1589H376H1004H1590H4672H7999H81478But if the thief is not caught, the neighbor must appear before God, who will determine if he stole the property.H1590H3808H4672H1167H1004H7126H430H7971H3027H7453H43999"Suppose there is a dispute between two people who both claim to own a particular ox, donkey, sheep, article of clothing, or any lost property. Both parties must come before God, and the person whom God declares guilty must pay double compensation to the other.H1697H6588H7794H2543H7716H8008H9H559H1697H8147H935H430H430H7561H7999H8147H745310"Now suppose someone leaves a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal with a neighbor for safekeeping, but it dies or is injured or gets away, and no one sees what happened.H376H5414H7453H2543H7794H7716H929H8104H4191H7665H7617H720011The neighbor must then take an oath in the presence of the LORD. If the LORD confirms that the neighbor did not steal the property, the owner must accept the verdict, and no payment will be required.H7621H3068H8147H7971H3027H7453H4399H1167H3947H799912But if the animal was indeed stolen, the guilty person must pay compensation to the owner.H1589H1589H7999H116713If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the remains of the carcass must be shown as evidence, and no compensation will be required.H2963H2963H935H5707H7999H296614"If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it is injured or dies when the owner is absent, the person who borrowed it must pay full compensation.H376H7592H7453H7665H4191H1167H5973H7999H799915But if the owner was present, no compensation is required. And no compensation is required if the animal was rented, for this loss is covered by the rental fee.H1167H7999H7916H935H7939
Social Responsibility
16"If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and has sex with her, he must pay the customary bride price and marry her.H376H6601H1330H781H7901H4117H4117H80217But if her father refuses to let him marry her, the man must still pay him an amount equal to the bride price of a virgin.H1H3985H3985H5414H8254H3701H4119H133018"You must not allow a sorceress to live.H3784H242119"Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must certainly be put to death.H7901H929H4191H419120"Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed.H2076H430H1115H3068H276321"You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.H3238H1616H3905H1616H776H471422"You must not exploit a widow or an orphan.H6031H490H349023If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry.H518H6031H6031H6817H6817H8085H8085H681824My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.H639H2734H2026H2719H802H490H1121H349025"If you lend money to any of my people who are in need, do not charge interest as a money lender would.H3867H3701H5971H6041H5383H7760H539226If you take your neighbor's cloak as security for a loan, you must return it before sunset.H2254H2254H7453H8008H2254H7725H5704H8121H93527This coat may be the only blanket your neighbor has. How can a person sleep without it? If you do not return it and your neighbor cries out to me for help, then I will hear, for I am merciful.H3682H8071H5785H7901H6817H8085H258728"You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers.H7043H430H779H5387H597129"You must not hold anything back when you give me offerings from your crops and your wine. "You must give me your firstborn sons.H309H4395H1831H1060H1121H541430"You must also give me the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats. But leave the newborn animal with its mother for seven days; then give it to me on the eighth day.H3651H6213H7794H6629H7651H3117H517H8066H3117H541431"You must be my holy people. Therefore, do not eat any animal that has been torn up and killed by wild animals. Throw it to the dogs.H6944H582H398H1320H2966H7704H7993H3611
Exodus 23
A Call for Justice
23"You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.H5375H7723H8088H7896H3027H7563H2555H57072"You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.H310H7227H7451H6030H7379H5186H310H7227H51863And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.H1921H1800H73794"If you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner.H6293H341H7794H2543H8582H7725H7725H77255If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.H7200H2543H8130H7257H4853H2308H5800H5800H58006"In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor.H5186H4941H34H73797"Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.H7368H8267H1697H5355H6662H2026H6663H75638"Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.H3947H7810H7810H5786H6493H5557H1697H66629"You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it's like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.H3905H1616H3045H5315H1616H3588H1616H776H471410"Plant and harvest your crops for six years,H8337H8141H2232H776H622H839311but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.H7637H8058H5203H34H5971H398H3499H2416H7704H398H6213H3754H213212"You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.H8337H3117H6213H4639H7637H3117H7673H7794H2543H5117H1121H519H1616H531413"Pay close attention to all my instructions. You must not call on the name of any other gods. Do not even speak their names.H559H8104H2142H8034H312H430H8085H5921H6310
Three Annual Festivals
14"Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor.H7969H7272H2287H814115First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering.H8104H2282H4682H398H4682H7651H3117H6680H4150H2320H24H3318H4714H7200H6440H738716"Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest. "Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields.H2282H7105H1061H4639H2232H7704H2282H614H3318H8141H622H4639H770417At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the LORD.H7969H6471H8141H2138H7200H6440H113H306818"You must not offer the blood of my sacrificial offerings together with any baked goods containing yeast. And do not leave the fat from the festival offerings until the next morning.H2076H1818H2077H2557H2459H2282H3885H124219"As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the LORD your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.H7225H1061H127H935H1004H3068H430H1310H1423H517H2461
A Promise of the Lord’s Presence
20"See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.H7971H4397H6440H8104H1870H935H4725H355921Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion.H8104H6440H8085H6963H4843H5375H6588H8034H713022But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.H8085H8085H6963H6213H1696H340H341H6887H669623For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely.H4397H3212H6440H935H567H2850H6522H3669H2340H2983H358224You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.H7812H430H5647H6213H4639H2040H2040H7665H7665H467625"You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness.H5647H3068H430H1288H3899H4325H5493H4245H5493H713026There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.H7921H6135H776H4557H3117H439027"I will send my terror ahead of you and create panic among all the people whose lands you invade. I will make all your enemies turn and run.H7971H367H6440H2000H5971H935H5414H341H620328I will send terror ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites.H7971H6880H6440H1644H2340H3669H2850H644029But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you.H1644H6440H259H8141H776H8077H2416H7704H722730I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land.H4592H4592H1644H6440H6509H5157H77631And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.H7896H1366H5488H3220H3220H6430H4057H5104H5414H3427H776H3027H1644H644032"Make no treaties with them or their gods.H3772H1285H43033They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry."H3427H776H2398H5647H430H4170
Exodus 24
Israel Accepts the Lord’s Covenant
24Then the LORD instructed Moses: "Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's elders. All of you must worship from a distance.H559H4872H5927H3068H175H5070H30H7657H2205H3478H7812H73502Only Moses is allowed to come near to the LORD. The others must not come near, and none of the other people are allowed to climb up the mountain with him."H4872H5066H3068H5066H5971H59273Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the LORD had given him. All the people answered with one voice, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded."H4872H935H5608H5971H1697H3068H4941H5971H6030H259H6963H559H1697H3068H1696H62134Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD's instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.H4872H3789H1697H3068H7925H1242H1129H4196H2022H4676H8147H6240H7626H34785Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.H7971H5288H1121H3478H5927H5930H2076H8002H2077H6499H30686Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar.H4872H3947H2677H1818H7760H101H2677H1818H2236H41967Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey."H3947H5612H1285H7121H241H5971H559H3068H1696H6213H80858Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, "Look, this blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these instructions."H4872H3947H1818H2236H5971H559H1818H1285H3068H3772H16979Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain.H5927H4872H175H5070H30H7657H2205H347810There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself.H7200H430H3478H7272H3840H4639H5601H6106H8064H289211And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!H678H1121H3478H7971H3027H2372H430H398H835412Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people."H3068H559H4872H5927H2022H5414H3871H68H8451H4687H3789H338413So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God.H4872H6965H8334H3091H4872H5927H2022H43014Moses told the elders, "Stay here and wait for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you. If anyone has a dispute while I am gone, consult with them."H559H2205H3427H2088H7725H175H2354H4310H1167H1697H1167H506615Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it.H4872H5927H2022H6051H3680H202216And the glory of the LORD settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from inside the cloud.H3519H3068H7931H2022H5514H6051H3680H8337H3117H7637H3117H7121H4872H8432H605117To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the LORD appeared at the summit like a consuming fire.H4758H3519H3068H398H784H7218H2022H5869H1121H347818Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.H4872H935H8432H6051H5927H2022H4872H2022H705H3117H705H3915
Psalms 24
24[A psalm of David.] The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.H4210H1732H776H3068H4393H8398H34272For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.H3245H3220H3559H51043Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?H5927H2022H3068H6965H6944H47254Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.H5355H3709H1249H3824H5375H5315H7723H7650H48205They will receive the LORD's blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.H5375H1293H3068H6666H430H34686Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. InterludeH1755H1875H1245H6440H3290H55427Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.H5375H7218H8179H5375H5769H6607H4428H3519H9358Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle.H4428H3519H3068H5808H1368H3068H1368H44219Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.H5375H7218H8179H5375H5769H6607H4428H3519H93510Who is the King of glory? The LORD of Heaven's Armies—he is the King of glory. InterludeH4428H3519H3068H6635H4428H3519H5542
Dublin, OH
"If someone steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, the thief must pay back five oxen for each ox stolen, and four sheep for each sheep stolen.H376
