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| 1 If a man steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for the ox, and four sheep for the sheep. |
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| 2 If the thief be encountered breaking in, and be smitten so that he die, there shall be no blood-guiltiness for him. |
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| 3 If the sun be risen on him, there shall be blood-guiltiness for him; he should have made full restitution: if he had nothing, he would have been sold for his theft.
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| 4 If the stolen thing be actually found alive in his hand, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall restore double. |
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| 5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and put in his cattle, and pasture in another man's field, of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard shall he make it good. |
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| 6 --If fire break out, and seize the thorns, and the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field be consumed, he that kindled the fire shall fully make it good. |
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| 7 --If a man deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him restore double; |
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| 8 if the thief be not found, the master of the house shall be brought before the judges, to see if he has not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. |
Unto the judges – Elohim, rulers, mighty ones. A name applied to Jehovah as well as to men. E68; R1410:3
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| 9 As to all manner of fraud, --as to ox, as to ass, as to sheep, as to clothing, as to everything lost, of which a man saith, It is this--the cause of both parties shall come before the judges: he whom the judges shall condemn shall restore double to his neighbour. |
Before the judges – Elohim, rulers, mighty ones. E68; R1410:3
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| 10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any cattle, to keep, and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, and no man see it, |
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| 11 an oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept it, and he shall not make it good. |
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| 12 But if it have been stolen from him, he shall make it good unto its owner. |
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| 13 If it have been torn in pieces, let him bring it as witness: he shall not make good what was torn. |
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| 14 --And if a man borrow anything of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, its owner not being with it, he shall fully make it good; |
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| 15 if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good; if it be a hired thing, it came for its hire. |
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| 16 And if a man seduce a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall certainly endow her, to be his wife. |
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| 17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall weigh money according to the dowry of virgins. |
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| 18 --Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. |
Not suffer a witch – A medium, or mouthpiece of fallen angels. R2172:1; Q840:T
Spirit mediums, clairvoyants and the like are the modern wizards and witches. Q840:T
It is not superstitious to believe that men and women may be so given over to Satan, and be so controlled by him as to be wizards and witches. R265:4
Witchcraft was instituted by Satan to prove his lie that the dead are not dead. R1216:2
Some of God's people today, notwithstanding this instruction, have attended Spiritualistic seances "just to see how it was done." R3240:5
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| 19 --Every one that lieth with a beast shall certainly be put to death. |
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| 20 --He that sacrificeth to any god, save to Jehovah only, shall be devoted to destruction. |
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| 21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt. |
Vex a stranger – The laws protected the weak, the stranger, the servant. OV10:5
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| 22 Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. |
Widow, or fatherless child – The Lord's special care is over the weak, helpless and bereaved ones. Q781:4
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| 23 If thou afflict him in any way, if he cry at all unto me, I will certainly hear his cry; |
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| 24 and my anger shall burn, and I will slay you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. |
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| 25 --If thou lend money to my people, the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer: ye shall charge him no interest. |
That is poor – The Mosaic Law was far ahead of its time. A50
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| 26 --If thou at all take thy neighbour's garment in pledge, thou shalt return it to him before the sun goes down; |
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| 27 for that is his only covering, his garment for his skin: on what shall he lie down? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. |
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| 28 Thou shalt not revile the judges, nor curse a prince amongst thy people. |
Not revile the gods – Elohim, rulers, mighty ones. E68; R1410:3
Nor curse the ruler – The tendency to speak evil of dignitaries, to belittle and caricature them, is a prevalent sin and does much to undermine good government. R5952:5
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| 29 --Thou shalt not delay the fulness of thy threshing-floor and the outflow of thy winepress2.The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. |
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| 30 Likewise shalt thou do with thy calf, with thy sheep: seven days shall it be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. |
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| 31 --And ye shall be holy men unto me; and ye shall not eat flesh torn in the field: ye shall cast it to the dog. |
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