Exodus 22

• 1. "A fine must be paid by anyone who steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it. For oxen the fine is five oxen for each one stolen. For sheep the fine is four sheep for each one stolen.
• 2. "If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty.
• 3. But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder. "A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything that was stolen. If payment is not made, the thief must be sold as a slave to pay the debt.
• 4. If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is recovered alive, then the thief must pay double the value.
• 5. "If an animal is grazing in a field or vineyard and the owner lets it stray into someone else's field to graze, then the animal's owner must pay damages in the form of high-quality grain or grapes.
• 6. "If a fire gets out of control and goes into another person's field, destroying the sheaves or the standing grain, then the one who started the fire must pay for the lost crops.
• 7. "Suppose someone entrusts money or goods to a neighbor, and they are stolen from the neighbor's house. If the thief is found, the fine is double the value of what was stolen.
• 8. But if the thief is not found, God will determine whether or not it was the neighbor who stole the property.
• 9. "Suppose there is a dispute between two people as to who owns a particular ox, donkey, sheep, article of clothing, or anything else. Both parties must come before God for a decision, and the person whom God declares guilty must pay double to the other.
• 10. "Now suppose someone asks a neighbor to care for a donkey, ox, sheep, or any other animal, but it dies or is injured or gets away, and there is no eyewitness to report just what happened.
• 11. The neighbor must then take an oath of innocence in the presence of the LORD. The owner must accept the neighbor's word, and no payment will be required.
• 12. But if the animal or property was stolen, payment must be made to the owner.
• 13. If it was attacked by a wild animal, the carcass must be shown as evidence, and no payment will be required.
• 14. "If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it is injured or killed, and if the owner was not there at the time, the person who borrowed it must pay for it.
• 15. But if the owner is there, no payment is required. And no payment is required if the animal was rented because this loss was covered by the rental fee.
• 16. "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to anyone and sleeps with her, he must pay the customary dowry and accept her as his wife.
• 17. But if her father refuses to let her marry him, the man must still pay the money for her dowry.
• 18. "A sorceress must not be allowed to live.
• 19. "Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be executed.
• 20. "Anyone who sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed.
• 21. "Do not oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
• 22. "Do not exploit widows or orphans.
• 23. If you do and they cry out to me, then I will surely help them.
• 24. My anger will blaze forth against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Your wives will become widows, and your children will become fatherless.
• 25. "If you lend money to a fellow Hebrew in need, do not be like a money lender, charging interest.
• 26. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge of repayment, you must return it by nightfall.
• 27. Your neighbor will need it to stay warm during the night. If you do not return it and your neighbor cries out to me for help, then I will hear, for I am very merciful.
• 28. "Do not blaspheme God or curse anyone who rules over you.
• 29. "Do not hold anything back when you give me the tithe of your crops and your wine. "You must make the necessary payment for redemption of your firstborn sons.
• 30. "You must also give me the firstborn of your cattle and sheep. Leave the newborn animal with its mother for seven days; then give it to me on the eighth day.
• 31. "You are my own holy people. Therefore, do not eat any animal that has been attacked and killed by a wild animal. Throw its carcass out for the dogs to eat.

Exodus 23

• 1. "Do not pass along false reports. Do not cooperate with evil people by telling lies on the witness stand.
• 2. "Do not join a crowd that intends to do evil. When you are on the witness stand, do not be swayed in your testimony by the opinion of the majority.
• 3. And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.
• 4. "If you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner.
• 5. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you struggling beneath a heavy load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and offer to help.
• 6. "Do not twist justice against people simply because they are poor.
• 7. "Keep far away from falsely charging anyone with evil. Never put an innocent or honest person to death. I will not allow anyone guilty of this to go free.
• 8. "Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe always hurts the cause of the person who is in the right.
• 9. "Do not oppress the foreigners living among you. You know what it is like to be a foreigner. Remember your own experience in the land of Egypt.
• 10. "Plant and harvest your crops for six years,
• 11. but let the land rest and lie fallow during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest any volunteer crop that may come up. Leave the rest for the animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.
• 12. "Work for six days, and rest on the seventh. This will give your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It will also allow the people of your household, including your slaves and visitors, to be refreshed.
• 13. "Be sure to obey all my instructions. And remember, never pray to or swear by any other gods. Do not even mention their names.
• 14. "Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor.
• 15. The first is the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, just as I commanded you before. This festival will be an annual event at the appointed time in early spring, for that is the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt. Everyone must bring me a sacrifice at that time.
• 16. You must also celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest. Finally, you are to celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season.
• 17. At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign LORD.
• 18. "Sacrificial blood must never be offered together with bread that has yeast in it. And no sacrificial fat may be left unoffered until the next morning.
• 19. "As you harvest each of your crops, bring me a choice sample of the first day's harvest. It must be offered to the LORD your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
• 20. "See, I am sending my angel before you to lead you safely to the land I have prepared for you.
• 21. Pay attention to him, and obey all of his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sins. He is my representative--he bears my name.
• 22. But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.
• 23. For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them.
• 24. Do not worship the gods of these other nations or serve them in any way, and never follow their evil example. Instead, you must utterly conquer them and break down their shameful idols.
• 25. "You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will keep you healthy.
• 26. There will be no miscarriages or infertility among your people, and I will give you long, full lives.
• 27. "I will send my terror upon all the people whose lands you invade, and they will panic before you.
• 28. I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites.
• 29. But I will not do this all in one year because the land would become a wilderness, and the wild animals would become too many to control.
• 30. I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to fill the land.
• 31. And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the southern deserts to the Euphrates River. I will help you defeat the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.
• 32. "Make no treaties with them and have nothing to do with their gods.
• 33. Do not even let them live among you! If you do, they will infect you with their sin of idol worship, and that would be disastrous for you."

Exodus 24

• 1. Then the LORD instructed Moses: "Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel's leaders. All of them must worship at a distance.
• 2. You alone, Moses, are allowed to come near to the LORD. The others must not come too close. And remember, none of the other people are allowed to climb on the mountain at all."
• 3. When Moses had announced to the people all the teachings and regulations the LORD had given him, they answered in unison, "We will do everything the LORD has told us to do."
• 4. Then Moses carefully wrote down all the LORD's instructions. Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars around the altar, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• 5. Then he sent some of the young men to sacrifice young bulls as burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.
• 6. Moses took half the blood from these animals and drew it off into basins. The other half he splashed against the altar.
• 7. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They all responded again, "We will do everything the LORD has commanded. We will obey."
• 8. Then Moses sprinkled the blood from the basins over the people and said, "This blood confirms the covenant the LORD has made with you in giving you these laws."
• 9. Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the leaders of Israel went up the mountain.
• 10. There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a pavement of brilliant sapphire, as clear as the heavens.
• 11. And though Israel's leaders saw God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they shared a meal together in God's presence!
• 12. And the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there while I give you the tablets of stone that I have inscribed with my instructions and commands. Then you will teach the people from them."
• 13. So Moses and his assistant Joshua climbed up the mountain of God.
• 14. Moses told the other leaders, "Stay here and wait for us until we come back. If there are any problems while I am gone, consult with Aaron and Hur, who are here with you."
• 15. Then Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered it.
• 16. And the glorious presence of the LORD rested upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from the cloud.
• 17. The Israelites at the foot of the mountain saw an awesome sight. The awesome glory of the LORD on the mountaintop looked like a devouring fire.
• 18. Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

New Living Translation: 25 of 324 days.