Bible in 90 Days

Rules for Cleaning Mildew

³³ The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, ³⁴ “I am giving the land of Canaan to your people. When they enter that land, I might cause mildew to grow in someone’s house. ³⁵ The owner of that house must come and tell the priest. He should say, ‘I have seen something like mildew in my house.’ ³⁶ Then the priest must order the people to empty the house. They must do this before he goes in to look at the mildew. This is so he will not have to say that everything in the house is unclean. After the people have emptied the house, the priest will go in to look at it. ³⁷ He will look at the mildew. The mildew on the walls of the house might be green or red. It might go into the wall’s surface. ³⁸ If these things are true, he must go out and close up the house for seven days. ³⁹ On the seventh day the priest must come back and check the house. The mildew may have spread on the walls of the house. ⁴⁰ If it has, the priest must order the people to tear out the stones with the mildew on them. They should throw the stones away. They must put the stones at a certain unclean place outside the city. ⁴¹ Then the priest must have all the inside of the house scraped. The people must throw away the plaster they scraped off the walls. They must put the plaster at a certain unclean place outside the city. ⁴² Then the owner must put new stones in the walls. And he must cover the walls with new clay plaster.

⁴³ “A person may have taken away the old stones and plaster. He may have put in new stones and plaster. But mildew may again appear in his house. ⁴⁴ If it does, the priest must come back and check the house again. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a mildew that destroys things. So the house is unclean. ⁴⁵ Then the owner must tear down the house. He must remove all its stones, plaster and wood. He must take them to the unclean place outside the city. ⁴⁶ Anyone who goes into that house will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁷ Anyone who eats in that house or lies down there must wash his clothes.

⁴⁸ “After new stones and plaster have been put in a house, the priest must check it again. The mildew may not have spread in the house. Then the priest will announce that the house is clean. This is because the mildew is gone.

⁴⁹ “Then, to make the house clean, the priest must take two birds. He must also take a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth and a hyssop plant. ⁵⁰ He will kill one bird in a clay bowl containing fresh water. ⁵¹ Then he will take the other bird that is still alive. He will also take the cedar wood, the hyssop and the red cloth. He will dip the living bird and other things into the blood. (This is the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.) Then the priest will sprinkle the blood on the house seven times. ⁵² He will use the bird’s blood, the fresh water and the live bird. And he will use the cedar wood, the hyssop and the red cloth. With these things he will make the house clean. ⁵³ The priest will go to an open field outside the city. And he will let the living bird go free. This is how the priest makes the house clean and ready for service to the Lord.”

⁵⁴ These are the teachings about any kind of skin disease. ⁵⁵ These are the teachings for mildew on pieces of cloth or in a house. ⁵⁶ These are also the teachings for swellings, rashes or bright spots on the skin. ⁵⁷ They teach when things are unclean and when they are clean. These are the teachings about all these kinds of diseases.

Rules About a Man’s Body

15 The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron, ² “Say to the people of Israel: ‘When a fluid comes from a man’s body, he is unclean. ³ It doesn’t matter if the fluid flows freely or if it is blocked from flowing.

⁴ “‘The man who discharges the body fluid may lie on a bed. If he does, that bed becomes unclean. Everything he sits on becomes unclean. ⁵ Also anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe in water. This person will be unclean until evening. ⁶ Someone might sit on something that the man who discharges the fluid sat on. If he does, he must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening. ⁷ Anyone who touches the man who discharges the body fluid must wash his clothes and bathe in water. The person will be unclean until evening.

⁸ “‘The man who discharges the body fluid might spit on a clean person. If so, the person who was clean must wash his clothes. He must bathe in water. The person will be unclean until evening. ⁹ Everything on which the man who is unclean has ridden will become unclean. ¹⁰ Someone might touch something that was under the man who discharges a body fluid. If he does, he will be unclean until evening. Someone might carry these things that were under the man who discharges a body fluid. This person must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening.

¹¹ “‘The man who discharges a body fluid may not have washed his hands in water. If he touches another person, that person must wash his clothes. That person must bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening.

¹² “‘A man who discharges a body fluid may touch a clay bowl. That bowl must be broken. If he touches a wooden bowl, that bowl must be washed in water.

¹³ “‘A man who discharges a body fluid may be made clean. He must count seven days for himself for his cleansing. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in fresh water. Then he will be clean. ¹⁴ On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons. He must come before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. He will give the two birds to the priest. ¹⁵ The priest will offer the birds. One bird is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. So the priest will make that man clean so he can belong to the Lord again.

¹⁶ “‘If semen^[a] goes out from a man, he must bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening. ¹⁷ If the fluid gets on any clothing or leather, it must be washed with water. It will be unclean until evening.

¹⁸ “‘If a man has physical relations with a woman and semen comes out, both people must bathe in water. They will be unclean until evening.

Rules About a Woman’s Body

¹⁹ “‘When a woman has her monthly period, she is unclean for seven days. Anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening. ²⁰ Anything she lies on during this time will be unclean. Everything she sits on during that time will be unclean. ²¹ Anyone who touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until evening. ²² Anyone who touches something she has sat on must wash his clothes and bathe in water. That person will be unclean until evening. ²³ It does not matter if the person touched the woman’s bed or something she sat on. That person will be unclean until evening.

²⁴ “‘A man might have physical relations with a woman during her monthly period. If he does, he will be unclean for seven days. Every bed he lies on will also be unclean.

²⁵ “‘A woman might have a loss of blood for many days. It may not be during her regular monthly period. Or she may continue to have a loss of blood after her regular period. If she does, she will be unclean, as she is during her monthly period. She will be unclean for as long as she continues to bleed. ²⁶ Any bed she lies on during all the time of her bleeding will be like her bed during her regular monthly period. Everything she sits on will be unclean. It will be like during her regular monthly period.

²⁷ “‘If anyone touches those things, that person will be unclean. He must wash his clothes and bathe in water. He will be unclean until evening. ²⁸ When the woman becomes clean from her bleeding, she must wait seven days. After this she will be clean. ²⁹ Then on the eighth day she must take two doves or two young pigeons. She must bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. ³⁰ Then the priest must offer one bird for a sin offering. He must offer the other bird for a whole burnt offering. So the priest will make her clean so she can belong to the Lord again.

³¹ “‘So you must warn the people of Israel to stay separated from things that make them unclean. If you don’t warn the people, they might make my Holy Tent unclean. And then they would have to die!’”

³² These are the teachings for the man who discharges a body fluid. These are the teachings for men who become unclean from semen^[b] coming out of their bodies. ³³ These are the teachings for women who become unclean from their monthly period. These are the teachings for anyone who becomes unclean by having physical relations with another person who is unclean.

The Day of Cleansing

16 Now two of Aaron’s sons had died while offering incense to the Lord. At that time the Lord spoke to Moses. ² He said, “Talk to your brother Aaron. Tell him there are times when he cannot go behind the curtain into the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant is. If he goes in when I appear in a cloud over the lid on the Ark of the Covenant, he will die.

³ “Aaron may enter the Most Holy Place only on the Day of Cleansing. Before he enters, he must offer a bull for a sin offering. And he must offer a male sheep for a whole burnt offering. ⁴ He must put on these clothes. He will put on the holy linen inner robe. The linen underclothes will be next to his body. His belt will be the cloth belt. And he will wear the linen turban. These are holy clothes. So he must wash his whole body with water before he puts them on.

⁵ “Aaron must take from the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering. And he must take one male sheep for a burnt offering. ⁶ Then he will offer the bull for the sin offering. This sin offering is for himself. Then he will perform the acts to remove sins from him and his family so they will belong to the Lord.

⁷ “Next Aaron will take the two goats. He will bring them before the Lord at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. ⁸ Aaron will throw lots for the two goats. One lot will be for the Lord. The other lot will be for the goat that removes sin. ⁹ Then Aaron will take the goat that was chosen for the Lord by throwing the lot. He must offer this goat as a sin offering. ¹⁰ The other goat was chosen by lot to remove the sin. It must be brought alive before the Lord. The priest will use it to perform the acts to remove Israel’s sin so they will belong to the Lord. Then this goat will be sent out into the desert.

¹¹ “Then Aaron will offer the bull as a sin offering for himself. This will remove the sins of him and his family so they will belong to the Lord. He will kill the bull for the sin offering for himself. ¹² Then he must take a pan full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord. Aaron must take two handfuls of sweet incense that has been ground into powder. He must bring it into the room behind the curtain. ¹³ He must put the incense on the fire before the Lord. Then the cloud of incense will cover the lid on the Ark of the Covenant. Then when Aaron comes in, he will not die. ¹⁴ Also, Aaron must take some of the blood from the bull. He must sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the lid. Then, with his finger he will sprinkle the blood seven times in front of the lid.

¹⁵ “Then Aaron must kill the goat of the sin offering for the people. He must bring this goat’s blood into the room behind the curtain. He must do with the goat’s blood as he did with the bull’s blood. He must sprinkle the goat’s blood on the lid and in front of it. ¹⁶ The people in Israel have been unclean. So Aaron will perform the acts to make the Most Holy Place ready for service to the Lord. Then it will be clean from the sins and crimes of the people of Israel. He must do this because the Meeting Tent stays in the middle of unclean people. ¹⁷ When Aaron makes the Most Holy Place ready for service to the Lord, no one is allowed in the Meeting Tent. No one must go in until Aaron comes out. So Aaron will perform the acts to remove sins from himself and his family so they will belong to the Lord. Then he will remove the sins of all the people of Israel so they will belong to the Lord. ¹⁸ Afterward he will go out to the altar that is before the Lord. And he will make the altar ready for service to the Lord. Aaron will take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood. He will put it on the corners of the altar on all sides. ¹⁹ Then he will sprinkle some of the blood with his finger. He will sprinkle it on the altar seven times. In this way Aaron will make the altar holy for the Lord. And it will be clean from all the sins of the people of Israel.

²⁰ “Aaron will make the Most Holy Place, the Meeting Tent and the altar clean. Then he will bring the goat alive to the Lord. ²¹ He will put both his hands on the head of the living goat. Then he will confess all the sins and crimes of Israel over the goat. In this way Aaron will put the people’s sins on the goat’s head. Then he will send the goat away into the desert. A man who has been appointed will lead the goat away. ²² So the goat will carry all the people’s sins on itself. It will go to a lonely place in the desert. The man who leads the goat will let it loose there.

²³ “Then Aaron will enter the Meeting Tent. He will take off the linen clothes. (He had put them on before he went into the Most Holy Place.) He must leave these clothes there. ²⁴ He will wash his whole body with water in a holy place. Then he will put on his regular clothes. He will come out and offer the whole burnt offering for himself. And he will offer the whole burnt offering for the people. He will remove sins from himself and the people so they will belong to the Lord. ²⁵ Then he will burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

²⁶ “The person who led the goat into the desert must wash his clothes. Then he must wash his whole body with water. After that, he may come back into the camp.

²⁷ “The bull and goat for the sin offerings must be taken outside the camp. The blood from these animals was brought into the Most Holy Place. It was to make the Holy Place ready for service to the Lord. The priests will burn the animals’ skins, bodies and intestines in the fire. ²⁸ Then the one who burns them must wash his clothes. And he must wash his whole body with water. After that, he may come back into the camp.

²⁹ “This law will always continue for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you must not eat. You must not do any work. The travelers or foreigners living with you must not work either. ³⁰ On this day the priests make you clean so you will belong to the Lord again. All your sins will be removed. ³¹ This is a very important day of rest for you. And you must not eat. This law will continue forever.

³² “So the appointed priest will perform the acts for making things ready for service to the Lord. He is the priest on whom oil was poured. He is appointed to take his father’s place. That priest must put on the holy linen clothes. ³³ He must make the Most Holy Place ready for service to the Lord. He must make the Meeting Tent and the altar ready for service to the Lord. He must remove the sins of himself and all the people of Israel so they will belong to the Lord. ³⁴ That law for removing the sins of the Israelites so they will belong to the Lord will continue forever. You will do these things once a year.”

So they did the things the Lord had commanded Moses.

Offering Sacrifices

17 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron, his sons and all the people of Israel. Tell them: ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: ³ An Israelite might sacrifice an ox, a lamb or a goat. He might kill it inside the camp or outside it. ⁴ But he should have brought the animal to the entrance to the Meeting Tent. He should have given the animal as a gift to the Lord. If he didn’t, he is guilty of killing. He must be separated from his people. ⁵ This rule is so people will bring their sacrifices to the Lord. They have been sacrificing in the open fields. But they must bring those animals to the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. They must bring them to the priest and offer them as fellowship offerings. ⁶ Then the priest will sprinkle the blood from those animals on the Lord’s altar. It is near the entrance to the Meeting Tent. And the priest will burn the fat from those animals on the altar. This smell will be pleasing to the Lord. ⁷ They must not offer any more sacrifices to their goat idols. They have chased after those other gods. In that way they have acted like prostitutes. These rules will continue for people from now on.’

⁸ “Tell the people this: ‘Someone might offer a burnt offering or sacrifice. He might be a citizen of Israel. Or he might be a traveler or foreigner living with you. ⁹ That person must take his sacrifice to the entrance to the Meeting Tent. There he may offer it to the Lord. If he does not do this, he must be separated from his people.

¹⁰ “‘I will be against anyone who eats blood. It does not matter if it is a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living with you. I will separate that person from his people. ¹¹ This is because the life of the body is in the blood. And I have given you rules for pouring that blood on the altar. You must do this to remove your sins so you will belong to the Lord. It is the blood that removes the sins from your life so you will belong to the Lord. ¹² So I tell the people of Israel this: “None of you may eat blood. And no foreigner living among you may eat blood.”

¹³ “‘Someone may catch a wild animal or bird that can be eaten. The person may be a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living among you. He must pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt. ¹⁴ This is because if blood is still in the meat, the animal’s life is still in it. So I give this command to the people of Israel: “Don’t eat meat that still has blood in it. Anyone who eats blood must be separated from his people.”

¹⁵ “‘Someone may eat an animal that died by itself. Or he may eat an animal that was killed by another animal. The person may be a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living among you. If he eats the animal, he will be unclean until evening. He must wash his clothes and whole body with water. ¹⁶ If he does not wash his clothes and bathe his body, he will be guilty of sin.’”

Rules About Physical Relations

18 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God. ³ In the past you lived in Egypt. You must not do what was done in that country. And you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. Do not follow their customs. ⁴ You must obey my rules and follow them. I am the Lord your God. ⁵ Obey my laws and rules. A person who obeys my laws and rules will live because of them. I am the Lord.

⁶ “‘You must never have physical relations with your close relatives. I am the Lord.

⁷ “‘You must not shame your father by having physical relations with your mother. She is your mother. Do not have physical relations with her. ⁸ You must not have physical relations with your father’s wife. That would shame your father.

⁹ “‘You must not have physical relations with your sister. She may be the daughter of your father or your mother. It doesn’t matter if she was born in your house or somewhere else.

¹⁰ “‘You must not have physical relations with your granddaughter. She may be your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter. That would bring shame on you.

¹¹ “‘If your father and his wife have a daughter, she is your sister. You must not have physical relations with her.

¹² “‘You must not have physical relations with your father’s sister. She is your father’s close relative. ¹³ You must not have physical relations with your mother’s sister. She is your mother’s close relative. ¹⁴ You must not have physical relations with the wife of your father’s brother. This would shame him. His wife is your aunt.

¹⁵ “‘You must not have physical relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. Do not have physical relations with her.

¹⁶ “‘You must not have physical relations with your brother’s wife. That would shame your brother.

¹⁷ “‘You must not have physical relations with both a woman and her daughter. And do not have physical relations with this woman’s granddaughter. It may be the daughter of her son or her daughter. They are her close relatives. It is evil to do this.

¹⁸ “‘While your wife is still living, you must not take her sister as another wife. Do not have physical relations with her.

¹⁹ “‘You must not go near a woman to have physical relations with her during her monthly period. She is unclean during this time.

²⁰ “‘You must not commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife and make yourself unclean with her.

²¹ “‘You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech. This will show that you do not respect your God. I am the Lord.

²² “‘You must not have physical relations with a man as you would a woman. That is a hated sin.

²³ “‘You must not have unnatural physical relations with an animal and make yourself unclean with it. Also a woman must not have unnatural physical relations with an animal. It is not natural.

²⁴ “‘Don’t make yourself unclean by any of these wrong things. I am forcing nations out of their countries because they did these sins. And I am giving their land to you. ²⁵ The land has become unclean. So I punished it for its sins. And the land is throwing out those people who live there.

²⁶ “‘You must obey my laws and rules. You must not do any of these hated sins. These rules are for the citizens of Israel. They are also for the people who live with you. ²⁷ The people who lived in the land before you did all these hated things. So the land became unclean. ²⁸ If you do these things, you will also make the land unclean. And it will throw you out as it threw out the nations before you. ²⁹ Anyone who does these hated sins must be separated from his people. ³⁰ The people who lived in the land before you have done these hated sins. But you must not do them. You must obey my laws. Don’t make yourself unclean by these hated sins. I am the Lord your God.’”

Other Laws

19 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell all the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must be holy because I am holy.

³ “‘Each person among you must respect his mother and father. And you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

⁴ “‘Do not worship idols. Do not make statues of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

⁵ “‘You may sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord. If you do, you must offer it so you will be accepted. ⁶ You may eat it the same day you offer it. And you may also eat it on the next day. But if any is left on the third day, you must burn it up. ⁷ If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is unclean. It will not be accepted. ⁸ Anyone who eats it then will be guilty of sin. This is because he did not respect the holy things that belong to the Lord. He must be separated from his people.

⁹ “‘You harvest your crops on your land. But do not harvest all the way to the corners of your fields. If grain falls onto the ground, don’t gather it up. ¹⁰ Don’t pick all the grapes in your vineyards. And don’t pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. You must leave those things for poor people. You must also leave them for people traveling through your country. I am the Lord your God.

¹¹ “‘You must not steal. You must not cheat people. You must not lie to each other. ¹² You must not make a false promise by my name. If you do that, you will show that you don’t respect your God. I am the Lord.

¹³ “‘You must not cheat your neighbor. You must not rob him. You must not keep a hired worker’s salary all night until morning. ¹⁴ You must not curse a deaf man. And you must not put something in front of a blind person to make him fall. But you must respect your God. I am the Lord.

¹⁵ “‘Be fair in your judging. You must not show special favor to poor people or great people. You must be fair when you judge your neighbor. ¹⁶ You must not spread false stories against other people. You must not do anything that would put your neighbor’s life in danger. I am the Lord.

¹⁷ “‘You must not hate your brother in your heart. If your neighbor does something wrong, tell him about it. If you do not, you will be partly to blame. ¹⁸ Forget about the wrong things people do to you. You must not try to get even. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.

¹⁹ “‘Obey my laws. You must not mate two different kinds of cattle. You must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed. You must not wear clothing made from two different kinds of material mixed together.

²⁰ “‘A man might have physical relations with a slave girl of another man. But this slave girl has not been bought or given her freedom. If this happens, there must be punishment. But they are not to be put to death. This is because the woman was not free. ²¹ The man must bring a male sheep as his penalty offering. He must bring it to the Lord at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. ²² The priest will offer the male sheep as a penalty offering before the Lord. It will be for the man’s sin. The priest will perform the acts to remove the sins of the man so he will belong to the Lord. Then the man will be forgiven for his sin.

²³ “‘In the future you will enter your country. You will plant many kinds of trees for food. After planting a tree, wait three years before using its fruit. ²⁴ In the fourth year the fruit from the tree will be the Lord’s. It will be a holy offering of praise to him. ²⁵ Then in the fifth year, you may eat the fruit from the tree. The tree will then produce more fruit for you. I am the Lord your God.

²⁶ “‘You must not eat anything with the blood in it.

“‘You must not try to tell the future by signs or black magic.

²⁷ “‘You must not cut the hair on the sides of your heads. And you must not cut the edges of your beard. ²⁸ You must not cut your body to show sadness for someone who died. Do not put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.

²⁹ “‘You must not make your daughter become a prostitute. That only shows you do not respect her. If you do this, the country will be filled with all kinds of sin.

³⁰ “‘Obey the laws about Sabbaths. You must respect my Most Holy Place. I am the Lord.

³¹ “‘Do not go to mediums or fortune-tellers for advice. If you do, you will become unclean. I am the Lord your God.

³² “‘Show respect to old people. Stand up when they come into the room. Show respect also to your God. I am the Lord.

³³ “‘Do not mistreat foreigners living in your country. ³⁴ Treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time. That was in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

³⁵ “‘Be fair when you judge people. And be fair when you measure and weigh things. ³⁶ Your weighing baskets should be the right size. And your jars should hold the right amount of liquid. Your weights and balances should weigh correctly. I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt.

³⁷ “‘Remember all my laws and rules, and obey them. I am the Lord.’”

Warnings About Various Sins

20 The Lord said to Moses, ² “You must also tell the people of Israel these things: ‘A person in your country might give one of his children to Molech. That person must be killed. It doesn’t matter if he is a citizen or a foreigner living in Israel. You must throw stones at him and kill him. ³ I will be against him. I will separate him from his people. This is because he gave his children to Molech. He showed that he did not respect my holy name. And he made my Holy Place unclean. ⁴ The people of the community might ignore that person. They might not kill the one who gave his children to Molech. ⁵ But I will be against him and his family. I will separate him from his people. I will do this to anyone who is unfaithful to me and who worships Molech.

⁶ “‘I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and fortune-tellers for advice. He is being unfaithful to me. So I will separate him from his people.

⁷ “‘Be my holy people. Be holy because I am holy. I am the Lord your God. ⁸ Remember and obey my laws. I am the Lord, and I have made you holy.

⁹ “‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother. So he must be punished.

Punishments for Sexual Sins

¹⁰ “‘A man might have physical relations with his neighbor’s wife. If he does, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery. So they must be put to death. ¹¹ A man might have physical relations with his father’s wife. If he does, both the man and his father’s wife must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves. That man has shamed his father.

¹² “‘A man might have physical relations with his daughter-in-law. If he does, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is not natural. It must be punished.

¹³ “‘A man might have physical relations with another man as a man does with a woman. If he does, these two men have done a hated sin. They must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.

¹⁴ “‘A man might have physical relations with both a woman and her mother. This is evil. The people must burn that man and the two women in fire. Do this so that your people will not be evil.

¹⁵ “‘A man might have unnatural physical relations with an animal. If he does, he must be put to death. And you must also kill the animal. ¹⁶ A woman might have unnatural physical relations with an animal. If she does, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. They have brought it on themselves.

¹⁷ “‘It is shameful for a brother to marry his sister and to have physical relations with her. In front of everyone they must both be separated from their people. The man has shamed his sister. And he is guilty of sin.

¹⁸ “‘If a man has physical relations with a woman during her monthly period, both the woman and the man must be separated from their people. They sinned because they showed the source of her blood.

¹⁹ “‘Do not have physical relations with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister. That would shame a close relative. Both of you are guilty of this sin.

²⁰ “‘A man must not have physical relations with his uncle’s wife. That would shame his uncle. That man and his uncle’s wife would die without children. They are guilty of sin.

²¹ “‘It is unclean for a man to marry his brother’s wife. That man has shamed his brother. They would have no children.

²² “‘Remember all my laws and rules, and obey them. I am leading you to your own land. If you obey my laws and rules, that land will not throw you out. ²³ I am forcing the people who live there out of that country ahead of you. Because they did all these sins I have hated them. Do not live the way those people lived.

²⁴ “‘I have told you that you will get their land. I will give it to you as your very own. It is a land where much food grows. I am the Lord your God. I have set you apart from other people and made you my own. ²⁵ So you must treat clean animals and birds differently from unclean animals. Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these unclean birds or animals or things that crawl on the ground. I have made them unclean for you. ²⁶ I have set you apart from other people. So you must be holy to me. This is because I am the Lord, and I am holy.

²⁷ “‘A man or woman who is a medium or a fortune-teller must be put to death. You must kill them with stones. They have brought it on themselves.’”

How Priests Must Behave

21 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell these things to Aaron’s sons, the priests: ‘A priest must not make himself unclean by touching a dead person. ² But if the dead person was one of his close relatives, he may touch him. The priest may make himself unclean if the dead person is his mother or father, son or daughter, brother or ³ unmarried sister. This sister is close to him because she has no husband. So the priest may make himself unclean for her if she dies. ⁴ But a priest must not make himself unclean if the dead person was only related to him by marriage.

⁵ “‘Priests must not shave their heads. They must not shave off the edges of their beards. They must not cut their bodies. ⁶ Priests must be holy to their God. They must show respect for God’s name. This is because they present the offerings made by fire to the Lord. This is the food of their God. So they must be holy.

⁷ “‘A priest serves God in a special way. So he must not marry an unclean prostitute or a divorced woman. ⁸ Treat the priest in a special way. Think of him as holy. This is because he offers up the food of your God. I am the Lord. I make you holy. And I am holy.

⁹ “‘If a priest’s daughter makes herself unclean by becoming a prostitute, she shames her father. She must be burned with fire.

¹⁰ “‘The high priest was chosen from among his brothers. The special olive oil used in appointing people and things to the service of the Lord was poured on his head. He was appointed to wear the priestly clothes. So he must not do things to show his sadness in public. He must not let his hair go uncombed. He must not tear his clothes. ¹¹ He must not go into a house where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even if it is his own father or mother. ¹² The high priest must not go out of the Holy Place. If he does and becomes unclean, he would make God’s Holy Place unclean. The special oil used in appointing priests was poured on the high priest’s head. This separated him from the rest of the people. I am the Lord.

¹³ “‘The high priest must marry a woman who is a virgin. ¹⁴ He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman or a prostitute. He must marry a virgin from his own people. ¹⁵ This is so the people will respect his children as his own. I am the Lord. I have set the high priest apart for his special job.’”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “Tell Aaron: ‘Some of your descendants might have something wrong with them. If they do, they must never offer the special food of their God. ¹⁸ Anyone who has something wrong with him must not serve as priest. And he must not bring sacrifices to me. These people cannot serve as priests: blind men, crippled men, men with damaged faces, deformed men, ¹⁹ men with a crippled foot or hand, ²⁰ hunchbacks, dwarfs, men who have something wrong with their eyes, men who have an itching disease or a skin disease or men who have damaged sex glands.

²¹ “‘One of Aaron’s descendants might have something wrong with him. If he does, he cannot make the offerings made by fire to the Lord. He has something wrong with him. He cannot offer the food of his God. ²² But he is from the family of priests. So he may eat the most holy food. He may also eat the holy food. ²³ But he may not go through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. He may not go near the altar. He has something wrong with him. He must not make my Holy Place unfit. I am the Lord. I make these things holy.’”

²⁴ So Moses told these things to Aaron, Aaron’s sons and all the people of Israel.

22 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell Aaron and his sons: ‘The people of Israel will give offerings to me. These offerings are holy, and they are mine. So you must respect these offerings. This will show that you respect my holy name. I am the Lord. ³ The people of Israel made the offerings holy for me. One of your descendants might be unclean and touch the offerings. From now on, anyone who does must be separated from appearing before me. I am the Lord.

⁴ “‘One of Aaron’s descendants might have one of the harmful skin diseases. Or he might discharge a body fluid. He cannot eat the holy offerings until he becomes clean. He can become unclean from touching a dead body or from his own semen.^{[c] 5} He will become unclean if he touches any unclean crawling animal. He will become unclean if he touches an unclean person. It doesn’t matter what made him unclean. ⁶ Anyone who touches those things will become unclean until evening. That person must not eat the holy offerings. But if he washes with water, he may eat the holy offerings. ⁷ He will be clean only after the sun goes down. Then he may eat the holy offerings. The offerings are his food.

⁸ “‘A priest might find an animal that died by itself. Or he might find one that was killed by some other animal. He must not eat that dead animal. If he eats it, he will become unclean. I am the Lord.

⁹ “‘The priests must keep all the rules I have given. That way they will not become guilty. If they are careful, they will not die. I am the Lord. I have made them holy. ¹⁰ Only people in a priest’s family may eat the holy offerings. A visitor staying with the priest must not eat it. A hired worker must not eat it. ¹¹ But the priest might buy a slave with his own money. If he does, that slave may eat the holy offerings. Slaves who were born in the priest’s house may also eat the priest’s food. ¹² A priest’s daughter might marry a person who is not a priest. If she does, she must not eat any of the holy offerings. ¹³ The husband of a priest’s daughter might die. Or the daughter might become divorced. She might not have children to support her. So she might go back to her father’s house where she lived as a child. If this happens, she may eat some of her father’s food. But only people from a priest’s family may eat this food.

¹⁴ “‘Someone might eat some of the holy offering by mistake. That person must pay back the priest for that holy food. He must also pay the priest another one-fifth of the price of that food.

¹⁵ “‘The people of Israel will give offerings to the Lord. These gifts become holy. So the priest must not treat these holy things as though they were not holy. ¹⁶ The priests might allow someone who is not a priest to eat the holy offerings. If they do, they are treating those offerings as though they were not holy. The person who eats will become guilty. He will have to pay for it. I am the Lord. I make them holy.’”

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Tell Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel: ‘A citizen of Israel or a foreigner living in Israel might want to bring a whole burnt offering. It might be for some special promise he has made. Or it might be a special gift he wanted to give to the Lord. ¹⁹ If he does, he must bring a male animal. It must have nothing wrong with it. The gift might be a bull, a sheep or a goat. This is so it might be accepted for him. ²⁰ He must not bring an animal that has something wrong with it. It will not be accepted for him.

²¹ “‘Someone might bring a fellowship offering to the Lord. That offering might be payment for a special promise the person made. Or it may be a special gift the person wanted to give the Lord. It might be a bull or a sheep. But it must be healthy. There must be nothing wrong with it. This is so it might be accepted for him. ²² You must not offer to the Lord any animal that is blind. It must not have broken bones or be crippled. It must not have running sores or any sort of skin disease. You must not offer any animals like these on the altar. They cannot be used as an offering by fire to the Lord.

²³ “‘Sometimes a bull or lamb is smaller than normal. Or it may not be perfectly formed. If someone wants to give that animal as a special gift to the Lord, it will be accepted. But it will not be accepted as payment for a special promise the person made.

²⁴ “‘An animal might have bruised, crushed, torn or cut sex glands. If it does, you must not offer that animal to the Lord in your own land. ²⁵ You must not take such animals from foreigners as sacrifices to the Lord. This is because the animals have been hurt in some way. They have something wrong with them. They will not be accepted for you.’”

²⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁷ “When an ox, a sheep or a goat is born, it must stay seven days with its mother. But from the eighth day on, this animal will be accepted as a sacrifice. It may be offered by fire to the Lord. ²⁸ But you must not kill the animal and its mother on the same day. This rule is the same for an ox or a sheep.

²⁹ “You might want to offer some special offering of thanks to the Lord. But you must do it in a way that pleases the Lord. ³⁰ You must eat the whole animal that same day. You must not leave any of the meat for the next morning. I am the Lord.

³¹ “Remember my commands and obey them. I am the Lord. ³² Show respect for my holy name. You Israelites must remember that I am holy. I am the Lord. I have made you holy. ³³ I brought you out of Egypt. I became your God. I am the Lord.”

Special Holidays

23 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel: ‘You will announce the Lord’s appointed feasts as holy meetings. These are my special feasts.

The Sabbath

³ “‘There are six days for you to work. But the seventh day will be a special day of rest. It is a day for a holy meeting. You must not do any work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your homes.

The Passover and Unleavened Bread

⁴ “‘These are the Lord’s appointed feasts. You will announce the holy meetings at the times set for them. ⁵ The Lord’s Passover is on the fourteenth day of the first month. It begins at twilight. ⁶ The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the fifteenth day of the same month. You will eat bread made without yeast for seven days. ⁷ On the first day of this feast you will have a holy meeting. On that day you must not do any work. ⁸ For seven days you will bring an offering made by fire to the Lord. There will be a holy meeting on the seventh day. And on that day you must not do any regular work.’”

The Feast of Harvests

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁰ “Tell the people of Israel: ‘You will enter the land I will give you. You will gather its harvest. At that time you must bring the first bundle of grain from your harvest to the priest. ¹¹ The priest will present the bundle before the Lord. Then it will be accepted for you. He will present the bundle on the day after the Sabbath.

¹² “‘On the day when you present the bundle of grain, offer a male lamb. It must be one year old. There must be nothing wrong with it. It will be a burnt offering to the Lord. ¹³ You must also offer a grain offering. It should be four quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell will be pleasing to the Lord. You must also offer a quart of wine as a drink offering. ¹⁴ First bring your offering to your God. Until you do this, do not eat the new grain, roasted grain or bread made from the new grain. This law will always continue for people from now on, wherever you live.

The Feast of Pentecost

¹⁵ “‘Count seven weeks from the morning after the Sabbath. (This is the Sabbath that you bring the bundle of grain to present as an offering.) ¹⁶ On the fiftieth day, you will bring a new grain offering to the Lord. This is the first day after the seventh week. ¹⁷ On that day bring two loaves of bread from your homes. That bread will be presented as an offering. Use yeast and four quarts of flour to make those loaves of bread. They will be your gift to the Lord from the first wheat of your harvest.

¹⁸ “‘Offer one bull, two male sheep and seven male lambs. The lambs must be one year old. There must be nothing wrong with them. Offer them with their grain offerings and drink offerings. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord. They will be an offering made by fire. And the smell will be pleasing to the Lord. ¹⁹ You must also offer one male goat for a sin offering. You must offer two male, one-year-old lambs as a fellowship offering.

²⁰ “‘The priest will present the two lambs as an offering. He will present them with the bread from the first wheat of the harvest. They are holy to the Lord. They will belong to the priest. ²¹ On that same day you will call a holy meeting. You must not do any work that day. This law will continue for you from now on, wherever you live.

²² “‘You will harvest your crops on your land. But do not harvest all the way to the corners of your field. If grain falls onto the ground, don’t gather it up. Leave it for poor people and foreigners in your country. I am the Lord your God.’”

The Feast of Trumpets

²³ Again the Lord said to Moses, ²⁴ “Tell the people of Israel: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you must have a special day of rest. There will be a holy meeting. Blow the trumpet for a special time of remembering. ²⁵ Do not do any work. And bring an offering made by fire to the Lord.’”

The Day of Cleansing

²⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁷ “The Day of Cleansing will be on the tenth day of the seventh month. There will be a holy meeting. You will give up eating and bring an offering made by fire to the Lord. ²⁸ Do not do any work on that day. This is because it is the Day of Cleansing. On that day the priests will go before the Lord. They will perform the acts to make you clean from sin so you will belong to the Lord.

²⁹ “If anyone refuses to give up food on this day, he must be separated from his people. ³⁰ If anyone works on this day, I will destroy him from among his people. ³¹ You must not do any work at all. This law will continue for people from now on wherever you live. ³² It will be a special day of rest for you. And you must not eat. You will start this special day of rest on the evening after the ninth day of the month. It will continue from that evening until the next evening.”

The Feast of Shelters

³³ Again the Lord said to Moses, ³⁴ “Tell the people of Israel: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Feast of Shelters. This feast to the Lord will continue for seven days. ³⁵ There will be a holy meeting on the first day. Do not do any work. ³⁶ You will bring an offering made by fire to the Lord each day for seven days. On the eighth day you will have another holy meeting. And you will bring an offering made by fire to the Lord. This will be a holy meeting. Do not do any work.

³⁷ (“‘These are the Lord’s special feasts. There will be holy meetings on these feast days. You will bring offerings made by fire to the Lord. They will be whole burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings. You must bring these gifts at the right times. ³⁸ You must bring these offerings in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbath days. You must offer them in addition to offerings you give as payment for special promises. They are also in addition to special offerings you want to give to the Lord.)

³⁹ “‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, celebrate the Lord’s festival for seven days. By then you will have gathered in the crops of the land. You must rest on the first day and the seventh day. ⁴⁰ On the first day you will take good fruit from the fruit trees. And you will take branches from palm, poplars and other leafy trees. You will celebrate before the Lord your God for seven days. ⁴¹ Celebrate this festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This law will continue from now on. You will celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴² Live in shelters for seven days. All the people born in Israel must live in shelters. ⁴³ This is so that all your descendants will know I made Israel live in shelters. It was during the time I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”

⁴⁴ So Moses told the people of Israel about all of the Lord’s appointed feast days.

The Lampstand and the Holy Bread

24 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from crushed olives. That oil is for the lamps. These lamps must never go out. ³ Aaron will keep the lamps burning in the Meeting Tent. They will burn from evening until morning before the Lord. This will be in front of the curtain of the Ark of the Covenant. This law will continue from now on. ⁴ Aaron must always keep the lamps burning. They are on the lampstands of pure gold before the Lord.

⁵ “Take fine flour and bake 12 loaves of bread with it. Use four quarts of flour for each loaf. ⁶ Put them in two rows on the golden table before the Lord. Six loaves will be in each row. ⁷ Put pure incense on each row. This is the memorial portion to take the place of the bread. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord. ⁸ Every Sabbath day Aaron will put the bread in order before the Lord. This agreement with the people of Israel will continue forever. ⁹ That bread will belong to Aaron and his sons. They will eat it in a holy place. This is because it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the Lord. That bread is their share forever.”

The Man Who Cursed God

¹⁰ Now there was a son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian father. The son was walking among the Israelites. And a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. ¹¹ The son of the Israelite woman began cursing and speaking against the Lord. So the people took him to Moses. (The mother’s name was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Debri from the family of Dan.) ¹² The people held him as a prisoner. They waited for the Lord’s command to be made clear to them.

¹³ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹⁴ “Take the one who spoke against me outside the camp. Then bring together all the people who heard him. They must put their hands on his head.^[d] Then all the people must throw stones at him and kill him. ¹⁵ Tell the people of Israel this: ‘If anyone curses his God, he is guilty of sin. ¹⁶ Anyone who speaks against the Lord must be put to death. All the people must kill him by throwing stones at him. Foreigners must be punished just like the person born in Israel. If someone speaks against the Lord, he must be put to death.

¹⁷ “‘If someone kills another person, he must be put to death. ¹⁸ Someone might kill an animal that belongs to another person. If he does, he must give that person another animal to take its place. ¹⁹ And someone might cause an injury to his neighbor. If he does, the same kind of injury must be given back to him. ²⁰ A broken bone must be paid for a broken bone, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. In the same way someone injures another person, he must be injured in return. ²¹ So anyone who kills another person’s animal must give that person another animal to take its place. But the person who kills another person must be put to death.

²² “‘The law will be the same for the foreigner as for those from your own country. I am the Lord your God.’”

²³ Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And they took the person who had cursed outside the camp. Then they killed him with stones. So the people of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Time of Rest for the Land

25 The Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai. He said, ² “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘I will give you land. When you enter it, let it have a special time of rest. This will be to honor the Lord. ³ You may plant seed in your field for six years. You may trim your vineyards for six years and bring in their fruits. ⁴ But during the seventh year, you must let the land rest. This will be a special time to honor the Lord. You must not plant seed in your field or trim your vineyards. ⁵ You must not cut the crops that grow by themselves after harvest. You must not gather the grapes from your vines that are not trimmed. The land will have a year of rest.

⁶ “‘You may eat whatever the land produces during that year of rest. It will be food for your men and women servants. It will be food for your hired workers and the foreigners living in your country. ⁷ It will also be food for your cattle and the wild animals of your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

The Year of Jubilee

⁸ “‘Count off seven groups of 7 years. This will be 49 years. During that time there will be 7 years of rest for the land. ⁹ On the Day of Cleansing, you must blow the horn of a male sheep. This will be on the tenth day of the seventh month. You must blow the horn through the whole country. ¹⁰ Make the fiftieth year a special year. Announce freedom for all the people living in your country. This time will be called Jubilee.^[e] Each of you will go back to his own property. And each of you will go back to his own family and family group. ¹¹ The fiftieth year will be a special time for you to celebrate. Don’t plant seeds. Don’t harvest the crops that grow by themselves. Don’t gather grapes from the vines that are not trimmed. ¹² That year is Jubilee. It will be a holy time for you. You may eat the crops that come from the field. ¹³ In the year of Jubilee each person will go back to his own property.

¹⁴ “‘Don’t cheat your neighbor when you sell your land to him. And don’t let him cheat you when you buy land from him. ¹⁵ You might want to buy your neighbor’s land. If you do, count the number of years since the last Jubilee. Use that number to decide the right price. If he sells the land to you, count the number of years left for harvesting crops. Use that number to decide the right price. ¹⁶ If there are many years, the price will be high. If there are only a few years, lower the price. This is because your neighbor is really selling only a few crops to you. At the next Jubilee the land will again belong to his family. ¹⁷ You must not cheat each other. You respect your God. I am the Lord your God.

¹⁸ “‘Remember my laws and rules, and obey them. Then you will live safely in the land. ¹⁹ The land will give good crops to you. You will eat as much as you want. And you will live safely in the land.

²⁰ “‘But you might ask, “If we don’t plant seeds or gather crops, what will we eat the seventh year?” ²¹ Don’t worry. I will send you a great blessing during the sixth year. That year the land will produce enough crops for 3 years. ²² When you plant in the eighth year, you will still be eating from the old crop. You will eat the old crop until the harvest of the ninth year.

Property Laws

²³ “‘The land really belongs to me. So you can’t sell it forever. You are only foreigners and travelers living for a time on my land. ²⁴ People might sell their land. But the family will always get its land back. ²⁵ A person in your country might become very poor. He might be so poor that he must sell his land. So his close relatives must come and buy it back for him. ²⁶ A person might not have a close relative to buy back his land for him. But he might get enough money to buy it back himself. ²⁷ He must count the years since the land was sold. He must use that number to decide how much to pay for the land. Then he may buy it back. And the land will be his again. ²⁸ But he might not find enough money to buy it back for himself. Then the one who bought it will keep it until the year of Jubilee. But during that celebration, the land will go back to the first owner’s family.

²⁹ “‘Someone may sell a home in a walled city. But, for a full year after he sold it, he has the right to buy it back. ³⁰ But the owner might not buy back the house before a full year is over. If he doesn’t, the house in the walled city will belong to the one who bought it. It will belong to his future sons. The house will not go back to the first owner at Jubilee. ³¹ But houses in small towns without walls are like open country. They can be bought back. And they must be returned to their first owner at Jubilee.

³² “‘The Levites may always buy back their houses. This is true in the cities which belong to them. ³³ Someone might buy a house from a Levite. But that house in the Levites’ city will again belong to the Levites in the Jubilee. This is because houses in Levite cities belong to the people of Levi. The people of Israel gave these cities to the Levites. ³⁴ Also the fields and pastures around the Levites’ cities cannot be sold. Those fields belong to the Levites forever.

Rules for Slave Owners

³⁵ “‘Someone from your country might become too poor to support himself. Help him to live among you as you would a stranger or foreigner. ³⁶ Do not charge him any interest on money you loan to him. Respect your God. And let the poor man live among you. ³⁷ Don’t lend him money for interest. Don’t try to make a profit from the food he buys. ³⁸ I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt. I did it to give the land of Canaan to you and to become your God.

³⁹ “‘Someone from your country might become very poor. He might even sell himself as a slave to you. If he does, you must not make him work like a slave. ⁴⁰ He will be like a hired worker. And he will be like a visitor with you until the year of Jubilee. ⁴¹ Then he may leave you. He may take his children and go back to his family and the land of his ancestors. ⁴² This is because the Israelites are my servants. I brought them out of slavery in Egypt. They must not become slaves again. ⁴³ You must not rule this person cruelly. You must respect your God.

⁴⁴ “‘You may buy men and women slaves from other nations around you. ⁴⁵ Also you may buy children as slaves. These children must come from the families of foreigners living in your land. These child slaves will belong to you. ⁴⁶ You may even pass these foreign slaves on to your children after you die. You can make them slaves forever. But you must not rule cruelly over your own brothers, the Israelites.

⁴⁷ “‘A foreigner or visitor among you might become rich. And someone in your country might become poor. The poor man might sell himself as a slave to a foreigner living among you. Or he might sell himself to a member of a foreigner’s family. ⁴⁸ The poor man has the right to be bought back and become free. One of his relatives may buy him back. ⁴⁹ His uncle or his uncle’s son may buy him back. One of his close relatives may buy him back. Or if he gets enough money, he may pay the money himself. Then he will be free again.

⁵⁰ “‘How do you decide the price? You must count the years from the time he sold himself to the foreigner. And count up to the next year of Jubilee. Use that number to decide the price. This is because the person really only hired himself out for a certain number of years. ⁵¹ There might still be many years before the year of Jubilee. If so, the person must pay back a large part of the price. ⁵² There might only be a few years left until Jubilee. If so, the person must pay a small part of the first price. ⁵³ But he will live like a hired man with the foreigner every year. Don’t let the foreigner rule cruelly over him.

⁵⁴ “‘That person will become free, even if no one buys him back. At the year of Jubilee, he and his children will become free. ⁵⁵ This is because the people of Israel are my servants. I brought them out of slavery in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Rewards for Obeying God

26 “‘Don’t make idols for yourselves. Don’t set up statues or memorials. Don’t put stone statues in your land to bow down to. This is because I am the Lord your God.

² “‘Remember my Sabbaths, and respect my Holy Place. I am the Lord.

³ “‘Remember my laws and commands, and obey them. ⁴ If you do these things, I will give you rains at the right season. The land will produce crops. And the trees of the field will produce their fruit. ⁵ Your threshing will continue until the grape harvest. And your grape harvest will continue until it is time to plant. Then you will have plenty to eat. You will live safely in your land. ⁶ I will give peace to your country. You will lie down in peace. No one will make you afraid. I will keep harmful animals out of your country. And armies will not pass through your country.

⁷ “‘You will chase your enemies and defeat them. You will kill them with your sword. ⁸ Five of you will chase 100 men. And 100 of you will chase 10,000 men. You will defeat your enemies and kill them with your sword.

⁹ “‘Then I will show kindness to you. I will let you have many children. I will keep my agreement with you. ¹⁰ You will have enough crops to last for more than a year. You will harvest the new crops. And you will have to throw out the old crops to make room for the new ones. ¹¹ Also I will place my Holy Tent among you. I will not turn away from you. ¹² I will walk with you and be your God. And you will be my people. ¹³ I am the Lord your God. You were slaves in Egypt. You were bent low from the heavy weights you carried as slaves. But I broke the heavy weights that were on your shoulders. I let you walk proudly again.

Punishment for Not Obeying God

¹⁴ “‘But you must obey me. You must obey all my commands. ¹⁵ If you refuse to obey all my laws and commands, you have broken our agreement. ¹⁶ If you do that, I will cause terrible things to happen to you. I will cause you to have disease and fever. They will destroy your eyes and kill you. You will not have success when you plant your seed. And your enemy will eat your crops. ¹⁷ I will be against you, and your enemies will defeat you. These enemies hate you. And they will rule over you. You will run away even when no one is chasing you.

¹⁸ “‘If you still do not obey me, I will punish you seven times more for your sins. ¹⁹ And I will also break the great cities that make you proud. The skies will not give rain. The earth will not produce crops. ²⁰ You will work hard, but it will not help. Your land will not grow any crops. Your trees will not give their fruit.

²¹ “‘If you still turn against me and refuse to obey me, I will beat you seven times harder. The more you sin, the more you will be punished. ²² I will send wild animals to attack you. They will take your children away from you. They will destroy your cattle. They will make you so few in number the roads will be empty.

²³ “‘If you don’t learn your lesson after all these things, and if you still turn against me, ²⁴ I will also turn against you. I will punish you seven more times for your sins. ²⁵ You broke my agreement, and I will punish you. I will bring armies against you. You will go into your cities for safety. But I will cause diseases to spread among you. Then your enemy will defeat you. ²⁶ There will be very little bread to eat. Ten women will be able to cook all your bread in one oven. They will measure each piece of bread. You will eat, but you will still be hungry.