| Chapter text (World English Bible version) |  |
1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, the LORD your God, am holy. 3 “ ‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God. 4 “ ‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. | What commands are given about holiness, parents, the Sabbath, and idols? |
| 5 “ ‘When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. If anything remains until the third day, it shall be burnt with fire. 7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted; 8 but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of the LORD, and that soul shall be cut off from his people. | What instructions are given about the peace offering and when it must be eaten? |
| 9 “ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God. | What are the people told to leave for the poor and the foreigner? |
11 “ ‘You shall not steal. “ ‘You shall not lie. “ ‘You shall not deceive one another. 12 “ ‘You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.*13 “ ‘You shall not oppress your neighbour, nor rob him. “ ‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 “ ‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. 15 “ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgement. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favouritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbour in righteousness. 16 “ ‘You shall not go around as a slanderer amongst your people. “ ‘You shall not endanger the life of your neighbour. I am the LORD. 17 “ ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbour, and not bear sin because of him. 18 “ ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD. * LORD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh | What commands are given about honesty, justice, and loving your neighbour? |
19 “ ‘You shall keep my statutes. “ ‘You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals. “ ‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; “ ‘Don’t wear a garment made of two kinds of material. | What kinds of mixing are forbidden? |
| 20 “ ‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 He shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, even a ram for a trespass offering. 22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed; and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him. | What must be done in the case described involving a slave woman? |
| 23 “ ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. For three years it shall be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to the LORD. 25 In the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase to you. I am the LORD your God. | What rules are given about eating fruit from newly planted trees? |
26 “ ‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practise sorcery. 27 “ ‘You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard. 28 “ ‘You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am the LORD. 29 “ ‘Don’t profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness. | What practices are forbidden in these verses? |
30 “ ‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am the LORD. 31 “ ‘Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. | What commands are given about the Sabbath and seeking guidance? |
32 “ ‘You shall rise up before the grey head and honour the face of the elderly; and you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. 33 “ ‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born amongst you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. | How are the elderly and foreigners to be treated? |
35 “ ‘You shall do no unrighteousness in judgement, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah,* and a just hin.** I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 “ ‘You shall observe all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them. I am the LORD.’ ” * 1 ephah is about 22 litres ** A hin is about 6.5 litres or 1.7 gallons. | What instructions are given about honest measures and keeping God’s statutes? |
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