Deuteronomy 23 - Easy To Read Version

¹ “A man with crushed testicles or part of his sex organs cut off may not join with the men of Israel to worship the Lord.

² If a man’s parents were not legally married, then that man may not join with the men of Israel to worship the Lord. And none of his descendants [142] to the tenth generation—may join in that group!

³ “An Ammonite or Moabite may not join with the men of Israel to worship the Lord. And none of their descendants [143] —to the tenth generation—may join in that group.

⁴ Why? Because the Ammonites and Moabites refused to give you bread and water on your trip at the time you came from Egypt. They also tried to hire Balaam to curse you. (Balaam was the son of Beor from the city of Pethor in Mesopotamia.)

⁵ But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. The Lord changed the curse into a blessing for you. Why? Because the Lord your God loves you.

⁶ You must never try to make peace with the Ammonite or Moabite people. As long as you live, don’t be friendly to them.

⁷ “You must not hate an Edomite. Why? Because he is your relative. You must not hate an Egyptian. Why? Because you were a stranger in his land.

⁸ The children of the third generation born to the Edomites and Egyptians may join with the men of Israel to worship the Lord.

⁹ “When your army goes to fight against your enemies, stay away from everything that would make you unclean. [144]

¹⁰ If there is any man who is unclean because he had a wet dream during the night, then he must go out of the camp. He must stay away from the camp.

¹¹ Then, when evening comes, the man must bathe himself in water. And when the sun goes down, he may come into the camp again.

¹² “You also must have a place outside the camp where you can go to have a bowel movement.

¹³ With your weapons, you must also carry a stick to dig with. Then, when you have a bowel movement, you must dig a hole and cover it up.

¹⁴ Why? Because the Lord your God is there with you in your camp to save you and to help you defeat your enemies. So the camp must be holy. Then the Lord will not see something disgusting and leave you.

¹⁵ “If a slave runs away from his master to you, you must not give this slave back to his master.

¹⁶ This slave may live with you wherever he likes. He may live in whatever city he chooses. You must not trouble him.

¹⁷ “An Israelite man or woman must never become a temple prostitute. [145]

¹⁸ The money earned by a man [146] or woman prostitute must not be brought to the special house of the Lord your God. A person can’t use that money to pay for the things he promised to give to God. Why? Because the Lord your God hates for people to sell their bodies for sexual sin.

¹⁹ “When you loan something to another Israelite, you must not charge interest. Don’t charge interest on money, on food or on anything that may earn interest.

²⁰ You may charge interest to a foreigner. But you must not charge interest to another Israelite. If you follow these rules, then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do in the land where you are going to live.

²¹ “When you make a promise to the Lord your God, don’t be slow to pay all that you promised. Why? Because the Lord your God will demand that you pay it. You will sin if you don’t pay the things you promised.

²² If you don’t make a promise, then you are not sinning.

²³ But you must do the things you say you will do. If you make a special promise to God, then you chose to make that promise. God did not force you to make that promise. So you must do the thing you promised!