Deuteronomy 25

Living Bible

25 ^1-3 “If a man is guilty of a crime and the penalty is a beating, the judge shall command him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with up to forty stripes in proportion to the seriousness of the crime; but no more than forty stripes may be given lest the punishment seem too severe, and your brother be degraded in your eyes.

⁴ “Don’t muzzle an ox as it treads out the grain.

⁵ “If a man’s brother dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family; instead, her husband’s brother must marry her and sleep with her. ⁶ The first son she bears to him shall be counted as the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten. ⁷ But if the dead man’s brother refuses to do his duty in this matter, refusing to marry the widow, then she shall go to the city elders and say to them, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to let his brother’s name continue—he refuses to marry me.’ ⁸ The elders of the city will then summon him and talk it over with him, and if he still refuses, ⁹ the widow shall walk over to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. She shall then say, ‘This is what happens to a man who refuses to build his brother’s house.’ ¹⁰ And ever afterwards his house shall be referred to as ‘the home of the man who had his sandal pulled off’!

¹¹ “If two men are fighting and the wife of one intervenes to help her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man, ¹² her hand shall be cut off without pity.

^13-15 “In all your transactions you must use accurate scales and honest measurements, so that you will have a long, good life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁶ All who cheat with unjust weights and measurements are detestable to the Lord your God.

¹⁷ “You must never forget what the people of Amalek did to you as you came from Egypt. ¹⁸ Remember that they fought with you and struck down those who were faint and weary and lagging behind, with no respect or fear of God. ¹⁹ Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the Promised Land, you are utterly to destroy the name of Amalek from under heaven. Never forget this.