The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Deuteronomy 23

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Deuteronomy chapter 23 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “A man shall not take his father's wife, and shall not uncover his father's skirt.” — the complete text of all 26 verses is below, free to read online.

1A man shall not take his father's wife, and shall not uncover his father's skirt.

2He that is crushed or maimed in his privy parts shall not enter into the assembly of HaShem.

3A bastard shall not enter into the assembly of HaShem; even to the tenth generation shall none of his enter into the assembly of HaShem.

4An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of HaShem; even to the tenth generation shall none of them enter into the assembly of HaShem for ever;

5because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, to curse thee.

6Nevertheless HaShem thy G-d would not hearken unto Balaam; but HaShem thy G-d turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because HaShem thy G-d loved thee.

7Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

8Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his land.

9The children of the third generation that are born unto them may enter into the assembly of HaShem.

10When thou goest forth in camp against thine enemies, then thou shalt keep thee from every evil thing.

11If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of that which chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp.

12But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall bathe himself in water; and when the sun is down, he may come within the camp.

13Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad.

14And thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.

15For HaShem thy G-d walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy; that He see no unseemly thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

16Thou shalt not deliver unto his master a bondman that is escaped from his master unto thee;

17he shall dwell with thee, in the midst of thee, in the place which he shall choose within one of thy gates, where it liketh him best; thou shalt not wrong him.

18There shall be no harlot of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

19Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, or the price of a dog, into the house of HaShem thy G-d for any vow; for even both these are an abomination unto HaShem thy G-d.

20Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother: interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of any thing that is lent upon interest.

21Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that HaShem thy G-d may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.

22When thou shalt vow a vow unto HaShem thy G-d, thou shalt not be slack to pay it; for HaShem thy G-d will surely require it of thee; and it will be sin in thee.

23But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

24That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt observe and do; according as thou hast vowed freely unto HaShem thy G-d, even that which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

25When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes until thou have enough at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.

26When thou comest into thy neighbour's standing corn, then thou mayest pluck ears with thy hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.

26 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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