Laws of Justice and Mercy
If a man seduces a young woman who is not engaged and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride price and make her his wife. If her father refuses to give her to him, the man must still pay the customary dowry for a virgin.
Sorcery must not be allowed among the people; those who practice witchcraft must be put to death. Anyone who engages in unnatural relations with an animal must also be executed. Those who offer sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.
Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were once foreigners in Egypt. Do not take advantage of widows or orphans. If you do, and they cry out to Me, I will hear them. My anger will burn against you, and I will strike you down with the sword, making your wives widows and your children fatherless.
If you lend money to someone in need among My people, do not act as a creditor charging them interest. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it before sunset, for it may be their only covering. If they cry out to Me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.
Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people. Bring the first of your crops and wines to the Lord without delay. Dedicate the firstborn of your sons to Me, just as you do with your livestock. On the eighth day, you shall give them to Me.
Be holy to Me. Do not eat meat torn by wild animals; instead, throw it to the dogs.
Justice and Integrity in Society
Do not spread false rumors or join the wicked in giving false testimony. Do not follow the crowd in doing evil, and do not pervert justice to support a popular opinion. Likewise, do not show favoritism to a poor person in a dispute.
If you find your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away, return it to them. If you see their donkey struggling under a heavy load, do not ignore it; help them.
Do not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. Keep away from false accusations, and do not put an innocent person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. Do not accept bribes, for they blind even the wise and distort the words of the righteous.
Do not oppress foreigners, for you know what it feels like to be a stranger, having been one in Egypt.
Sabbath and Festivals
Plant your fields and harvest your crops for six years, but in the seventh year, let the land rest so that the poor among you may eat, and what remains can be consumed by wild animals. Do the same for your vineyards and olive groves.
Work for six days, but on the seventh, rest so that your ox and donkey may have relief and so that the slaves and foreigners may be refreshed.
Pay close attention to everything I have told you. Do not even mention the names of other gods.
Three times a year, celebrate a festival to Me. Observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the appointed month of Abib, for that is when you came out of Egypt. Celebrate the Festival of Harvest when you gather the first fruits, and the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year.
Three times a year, all the men must appear before the Lord. Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice with anything containing yeast, and do not leave the fat from My feast until morning. Bring the best of your firstfruits to the house of the Lord. And do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
The Angel’s Guidance
“I am sending an Angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sins—My name is in him. If you listen to him and do what I command, I will be an enemy to your enemies.
My Angel will go before you and lead you to the lands of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not worship their gods or follow their customs. Completely destroy them and break their sacred stones.
Worship only the Lord your God, and I will bless your food and water and take sickness away from you. No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren, and I will give you a full lifespan.
I will send terror ahead of you to drive out your enemies. I will send hornets to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites. But I will not clear them all at once, or the land would become desolate. Instead, I will drive them out little by little until you are numerous enough to take possession.
I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, from the desert to the Euphrates, for I will deliver the inhabitants into your hands. But do not make a covenant with them or their gods, for they will lead you into sin.”
The Covenant is Sealed
The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel, but the people must not come near.”
Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s commands. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” Moses wrote down all the words and built an altar with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Young men offered sacrifices, and Moses took half of the blood and sprinkled it on the altar.
Then he read the Book of the Covenant to the people, and they replied, “We will do everything the Lord has said and obey.” Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant the Lord has made with you.”
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders went up the mountain and saw God. Under His feet was a surface like sapphire, as clear as the sky. Though they saw God, He did not strike them down; instead, they ate and drank in His presence.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain. I will give you tablets of stone with the law I have written.” So Moses and Joshua went up, and Moses told the elders to wait, with Aaron and Hur in charge.
Moses climbed the mountain, and a cloud covered it. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and for six days, the cloud covered it. On the seventh day, the Lord called to Moses. To the Israelites, the sight of the Lord’s glory was like a consuming fire.
Moses entered the cloud and stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
📚 Book Excerpt Featured in This Episode:
• Title: The Holy Bible (Modern Adaptation)
• Author: Adapted from the King James Version
• Publisher: Public Domain
• Link to purchase or learn more: [N/A]
The King James Version of the Bible is in the public domain and is used in accordance with that status.
🎵 Music Featured in This Episode: - Stock Media provided by FlorewsMusic / Pond5
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