Episode 75: When to cut off a woman's hand without pity

(Deuteronomy 24-27)

Divorce

24 ¹ If a man takes a wife and finds some uncleanness in her, he may divorce her. ² After the divorced woman leaves her former husband's house, she may become another's man's wife.

^3-4 If her new husband hates her and divorces her, or if he dies, her former husband may not take her again to be his wife. That is an abomination to God.

Assorted laws

⁸ Obey the laws of leprosy that the priests teach you, as I commanded them. ⁹ Remember what God did to Miriam.

¹⁵ Pay your workers at the end of each working day.

¹⁶ Fathers shall not be killed for the sins of their children. Children shall not be killed for the sins of their fathers. Every man shall be killed for his own sin.

¹⁷ Be kind to widows, orphans, fatherless children and strangers.

Legal disputes (and muzzled oxen)

25 ¹ If there is a controversy between men, judges will justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

² If the wicked man should be beaten, the judge will make him lie down and be beaten.

³ Forty stripes may be given, but no more.

⁴ Don't muzzle an ox while it treads the corn.

A man must marry his dead brother's wife (or she will spit in his face)

⁵ If a married man dies without having children, his brother must have sex with his dead brother's wife.

⁷ If the dead man's brother doesn't want to have sex with her, then she will say to the elders, "My husband's brother refuses to have sex with me."

⁹ Then she will take off his shoe, spit in his face, and say,

This is what happens to a man who refuses to have sex with his dead brother's wife.

¹⁰ And everyone in Israel will call him, "The house of him that had his shoe taken off.”

When to cut off a woman's hand (without pity)

^11-12 When two men are fighting and the wife of one of the men tries to help her husband, and while doing so, touches the private parts of the other man, then her hand must be cut off. And your eye must not pity her.

Be honest in business

^13-15 Be honest when you deal with others. Don't cheat.

¹⁶ Cheaters are abominations to God.

Remember to kill Amalekites

¹⁷ Remember what Amalek did to you when you were coming out of Egypt.

¹⁹ Blot out the remembrance of Amalek. And don't forget it.

26 Give your first fruits to God.

The entire law is written on plastered stones

27 ¹ Keep all the commandments that I command you today.

² As soon as you cross the Jordan, set up some big stones on Mount Ebal and plaster them with plaster.

³ Write on those stone all the words of this law.

Twelve curses from Mount Ebal

¹¹ On the same day, Moses said,

¹² These six tribes will stand on mount Gerizim to bless the people as they come over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.

¹³ And these six tribes will stand on mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

¹⁴ Then the Levites will say with a loud voice to all the men of Israel,

¹⁵ Cursed is the man that makes a graven image. The work of a craftsman is an abomination to God.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

¹⁶ Cursed is he that sets light by his father or mother.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

¹⁷ Cursed is he that removes his neighbor's landmark.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

¹⁸ Cursed is he that makes the blind wander out of the way.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

Cursed is he that misjudges strangers, the fatherless, and widows.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

²⁰ Cursed is he that has sex with his father's wife, because by doing so he uncovers his father's skirt.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

²¹ Cursed is he that has sex with any kind of beast.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

²² Cursed is he that has sex with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

²³ Cursed is he that has sex with his mother-in-law.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

²⁴ Cursed is he that smites his neighbor secretly.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

²⁵ Cursed is he that takes a reward to kill an innocent person.

And all the people will say, "Amen."

²⁶ Cursed is he that doesn't do all the words of this law.

And all the people will say, "Amen."