Deuteronomy 25

When people have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty.

إِذَا نَشَبَتْ خُصُومَةٌ بَيْنَ قَوْمٍ وَرَفَعُوا دَعْوَاهُمْ إِلَى الْقَضَاءِ لِيَحْكُمَ الْقُضَاةُ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَلْيُبَرِّئُوا الْبَرِيءَ وَيَحْكُمُوا عَلَى الْمُذْنِبِ.

If the guilty person deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make them lie down and have them flogged in his presence with the number of lashes the crime deserves,

فَإِنْ كَانَ الْمُذْنِبُ يَسْتَحِقُّ عِقَابَ الْجَلْدِ، يَطْرَحُهُ الْقَاضِي، وَيَجْلِدُونَهُ أَمَامَهُ بِعَدَدِ الْجَلْدَاتِ الَّتِي يَسْتَحِقُّهَا ذَنْبُهُ،

but the judge must not impose more than forty lashes. If the guilty party is flogged more than that, your fellow Israelite will be degraded in your eyes.

عَلَى أَلّا يَزِيدَ عَدَدُ الْجَلْدَاتِ عَنْ أَرْبَعِينَ جَلْدَةً، لِئَلّا يُصْبِحَ الْمُعَاقَبُ مُحْتَقَراً.

Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

لَا تَكُمُّوا فَمَ الثَّوْرِ الدَّارِسِ لِلْغِلالِ.

واجب أخي الزوج المتوفى

If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.

إِذَا سَكَنَ إِخْوَةٌ مَعاً وَمَاتَ أَحَدُهُمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يُنْجِبَ ابْناً، فَلا يَجِبُ أَنْ تَتَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَتُهُ رَجُلاً مِنْ غَيْرِ أَفْرَادِ عَائِلَةِ زَوْجِهَا. بَلْ لِيَتَزَوَّجْهَا أَخُو زَوْجِهَا وَيُعَاشِرْهَا، وَلْيَقُمْ نَحْوَهَا بِوَاجِبِ أَخِي الزَّوْجِ،

The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

وَيَحْمِلُ الْبِكْرُ الَّذِي تُنْجِبُهُ اسْمَ الأَخِ الْمَيْتِ، فَلا يَنْقَرِضُ اسْمُهُ مِنْ أَرْضِ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.”

وَإِنْ أَبَى الرَّجُلُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةَ أَخِيهِ، تَمْضِي الْمَرْأَةُ إِلَى بَوَّابَةِ شُيُوخِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَتَقُولُ: قَدْ رَفَضَ أَخُو زَوْجِي أَنْ يُخَلِّدَ اسْماً لأَخِيهِ فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَلَمْ يَشَأْ أَنْ يَقُومَ نَحْوِي بِوَاجِبِ أَخِي الزَّوْجِ.

Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,”

فَيَدْعُوهُ شُيُوخُ الْمَدِينَةِ وَيَتَدَاوَلُونَ مَعَهُ فِي الأَمْرِ. فَإِنْ أَصَرَّ عَلَى الرَّفْضِ وَقَالَ: لَا أَرْضَى أَنْ أَتَزَوَّجَهَا.

his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.”

تَتَقَدَّمُ امْرَأَةُ أَخِيهِ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى مَرْأَى مِنَ الشُّيُوخِ، وَتَخْلَعُ حِذَاءَهُ مِنْ رِجْلَيْهِ وَتَتْفُلُ فِي وَجْهِهِ قَائِلَةً: هَذَا مَا يَحْدُثُ لِمَنْ يَأْبَى أَنْ يَبْنِيَ بَيْتَ أَخِيهِ.

That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

فَيُدْعَى فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بَيْتَ مَخْلُوعِ النَّعْلِ.

If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts,

إِذَا تَعَارَكَ رَجُلانِ فَتَدَخَّلَتْ زَوْجَةُ أَحَدِهِمَا لِتُنْقِذَ زَوْجَهَا مِنْ قَبْضَةِ يَدِ ضَارِبِهِ وَمَدَّتْ يَدَهَا وَأَمْسَكَتْ بِخِصْيَتِهِ،

you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity.

فَاقْطَعُوا يَدَهَا وَلا تُشْفِقُوا عَلَيْهَا.

Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light.

لَا تَحْتَفِظْ فِي كِيسِكَ بِمِعْيَارَيْنِ مُخْتَلِفَيْنِ كَبِيرٍ وَصَغِيرٍ،

Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small.

وَلا يَكُنْ لَكَ فِي بَيْتِكَ مِكْيَالانِ مُخْتَلِفَانِ كَبِيرٌ وَصَغِيرٌ،

You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

بَلْ لِتَكُنْ أَوْزَانُكَ وَمَكَايِيلُكَ صَحِيحَةً لَا غِشَّ فِيهَا، لِتَطُولَ أَيَّامُكَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي يَهَبُهَا لَكَ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ،

For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.

لأَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ غَشَّ فِي الْمَكَايِيلِ أَوِ الأَوْزَانِ يُصْبِحُ مَكْرُوهاً لَدَى الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ.

Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt.

تَذَكَّرُوا مَا صَنَعَهُ بِكُمْ شَعْبُ عَمَالِيقَ لَدَى خُرُوجِكُمْ مِنْ مِصْرَ،

When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.

كَيْفَ تَعَرَّضُوا لَكُمْ فِي الطَّرِيقِ وَقَضَوْا عَلَى الْمُسْتَضْعِفِينَ الْمُرْتَحِلِينَ فِي مُؤَخَّرَةِ الشَّعْبِ وَأَنْتُمْ مُرْهَقُونَ تَعَابَى، وَلَمْ يَخَافُوا اللهَ.

When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!

فَمَتَى أَرَاحَكُمُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكُمْ مِنْ جَمِيعِ أَعْدَائِكُمُ الْمُحِيطِينَ بِكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ الَّتِي يَهَبُهَا لَكُمْ مِيرَاثاً، امْحُوا ذِكْرَ شَعْبِ عَمَالِيقَ مِنْ تَحْتِ السَّمَاءِ. لَا تَنْسَوْا هَذَا.