Laws About Social Justice (EXO 22:16-23:9)

[22:16] “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.

[22:17] If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

[22:18] “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

[22:19] “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.

[22:20] “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

[22:21] “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

[22:22] You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

[22:23] If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,

[22:24] and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

[22:25] “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.

[22:26] If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down,

[22:27] for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

[22:28] “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

[22:29] “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me.

[22:30] You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

[22:31] “You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

[23:1] “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.

[23:2] You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,

[23:3] nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

[23:4] “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.

[23:5] If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

[23:6] “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.

[23:7] Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.

[23:8] And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

[23:9] “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

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