Bible in a Year.

On the fortieth day, we continue exploring the law that governs community life. Exodus 22 establishes laws regarding restitution for theft and damages, special protection for widows and orphans, and principles of social justice and morality. Leviticus 15 addresses issues of purity related to bodily fluids, emphasizing the holiness necessary to dwell near the holy God. Psalm 76 extols the terrifying majesty of God in Zion, who breaks the instruments of war and causes battles to cease, before whom all must bow down in reverence.

1. If any man steal an ox or a sheep, and kill or sell it: he shall restore five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one sheep.

2. If a thief be found breaking open a house or undermining it, and be wounded so as to die: he that slew him shall not be guilty of blood.

3. But if he did this when the sun is risen, he hath committed murder, and he shall die. If he have not wherewith to make restitution for the theft, he shall be sold.

4. If that which he stole be found with him, alive, either ox, or ass, or sheep: he shall restore double.

5. If any man hurt a field or a vineyard, and put in his beast to feed upon that which is other men's: he shall restore the best of whatsoever he hath in his own field, or in his vineyard, according to the estimation of the damage.

6. If a fire breaking out light upon thorns, and catch stacks of corn, or corn standing in the fields, he that kindled the fire shall make good the loss.

7. If a man deliver money, or any vessel unto his friend to keep, and they be stolen away from him that received them: if the thief be found he shall restore double:

8. If the thief be not known, the master of the house shall be brought to the gods, and shall swear that he did not lay his hand upon his neighbour's goods,

9. To do any fraud, either in ox, or in ass, or sheep, or raiment, or any thing that may bring damage: the cause of both parties shall come to the gods: and if they give judgment, he shall restore double to his neighbour.

10. If a man deliver ass, ox, sheep, or any beast, to his neighbour's custody, and it die, or be hurt, or be taken by enemies, and no man saw it:

11. There shall be an oath between them, that he did not put forth his hand to his neighbour's goods: and the owner shall accept of the oath; and he shall not be compelled to make restitution.

12. But if it were taken away by stealth, he shall make the loss good to the owner.

13. If it were eaten by a beast, let him bring to him that which was slain, and he shall not make restitution.

14. If a man borrow of his neighbour any of these things, and it be hurt or die, the owner not being present, he shall be obliged to make restitution.

15. But if the owner be present, he shall not make restitution, especially if it were hired and came for the hire of his work.

16. If a man seduce a virgin not yet espoused, and lie with her: he shall endow her, and have her to wife.

17. If the maid's father will not give her to him, he shall give money according to the dowry, which virgins are wont to receive.

18. Wizards thou shalt not suffer to live.

19. Whosoever copulateth with a beast shall be put to death.

20. He that sacrificeth to gods, shall be put to death, save only to the Lord.

21. Thou shalt not molest a stranger, nor afflict him: for yourselves also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22. You shall not hurt a widow or an orphan.

23. If you hurt them they will cry out to me, and I will hear their cry:

24. And my rage shall be enkindled, and I will strike you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

25. If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor, that dwelleth with thee, thou shalt not be hard upon them as an extortioner, nor oppress them with usuries.

26. If thou take of thy neighbour a garment in pledge, thou shalt give it him again before sunset.

27. For that same is the only thing wherewith he is covered, the clothing of his body, neither hath he any other to sleep in: if he cry to me, I will hear him, because I am compassionate.

28. Thou shalt not speak ill of the gods, and the prince of thy people thou shalt not curse.

29. Thou shalt not delay to pay thy tithes and thy firstfruits: thou shalt give the firstborn of thy sons to me.

30. Thou shalt do the same with the firstborn of thy oxen also and sheep: seven days let it be with its dam, the eighth day thou shalt give it to me.

31. You shall be holy men to me: the flesh that beasts have tasted of before, you shall not eat, but shall cast it to the dogs.

1. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

2. Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The man that hath an issue of seed, shall be unclean.

3. And then shall he be judged subject to this evil, when a filthy humour, at every moment, cleaveth to his flesh, and gathereth there.

4. Every bed on which he sleepeth, shall be unclean, and every place on which he sitteth.

5. If ally man touch his bed, he shall wash his clothes: and being washed with water, he shall be unclean until the evening.

6. If a man sit where that man hath sitten, he also shall wash his clothes: and being washed with water, shall be unclean until the evening.

7. He that toucheth his flesh, shall wash his clothes: and being himself washed with water shall be unclean until the evening.

8. If such a man cast his spittle upon him that is clean, he shall wash his clothes: and being washed with water, he shall be unclean until the evening.

9. The saddle on which he hath sitten shall be unclean.

10. And whatsoever has been under him that hath the issue of seed, shall be unclean until the evening. He that carrieth any of these things, shall wash his clothes: and being washed with water, he shall be unclean until the evening.

11. Every person whom such a one shall touch, not having washed his hands before, shall wash his clothes: and being washed with water, shall be unclean until the evening.

12. If he touch a vessel of earth, it shall be broken: but if a vessel of wood, if shall be washed with water.

13. If he who suffereth this disease be healed, he shall number seven days after his cleansing, and having washed his clothes, and all his body in living water, he shall be clean.

14. And on the eighth day he shall take two turtles, or two young pigeons, and he shall come before the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and shall give them to the priest:

15. Who shall offer one for sin, and the other for a holocaust: and he shall pray for him before the Lord, that he may be cleansed of the issue of his seed.

16. The man from whom the seed of copulation goeth out, shall wash all his body with water: and he shall be unclean until the evening.

17. The garment or skin that he weareth, he shall wash with water, and it shall be unclean until the evening.

18. The woman, with whom he copulateth, shall be washed with water, and shall be unclean until the evening.

19. The woman, who at the return of the month, hath her issue of blood, shall be separated seven days.

20. Every one that toucheth her, shall be unclean until the evening.

21. 21And every thing that she sleepeth on, or that she sitteth on in the days of her separation, shall be defiled.

22. He that toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes: and being himself washed with water, shall be unclean until the evening.

23. Whosoever shall touch any vessel on which she sitteth, shall wash his clothes: and himself being washed with water, shall be defiled until the evening.

24. If a man copulateth with her in the time of her flowers, he shall be unclean seven days: and every bed on which he shall sleep shall be defiled.

25. The woman that hath an issue of blood many days out of her ordinary time, or that ceaseth not to flow after the monthly courses, as long as she is subject to this disease, shall be unclean, in the same manner as if she were in her flowers.

26. Every bed on which she sleepeth, and every vessel on which she sitteth, shall be defiled.

27. Whosoever toucheth them shall wash his clothes: and himself being washed with water, shall be unclean until the evening.

28. If the blood stop and cease to run, she shall count seven days of her purification:

29. And on the eighth day she shall offer for herself to the priest, two turtles, or two young pigeons, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony:

30. And he shall offer one for sin, and the other for a holocaust, and he shall pray for her before the Lord, and for the issue of her uncleanness.

31. You shall teach therefore the children of Israel to take heed of uncleanness, that they may not die in their filth, when they shall have defiled my tabernacle that is among them.

32. This is the law of him that hath the issue of seed, and that is defiled by copulation.

33. And of the woman that is separated in her monthly times, or that hath a continual issue of blood, and of the man that sleepeth with her.

1. Unto the end, in praises, a psalm for Asaph: a canticle to the Assyrians.

2. In Judea God is known: his name is great in Israel.

3. And his place is in peace: and his abode in Sion:

4. There hath he broken the powers of bows, the shield, the sword, and the battie.

5. Thou enlightenest wonderfully from the everlasting hills.

6. All the foolish of heart were troubled. They have slept their sleep; and all the men of riches have found nothing in their hands.

7. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, they have all slumbered that mounted on horseback.

8. Thou art terrible, and who shall resist thee? from that time thy wrath.

9. Thou hast caused judgment to be heard from heaven: the earth trembled and was still,

10. When God arose in judgment, to save all the meek of the earth.

11. For the thought of man shall give praise to thee: and the remainders of the thought shall keep holiday to thee.

12. Vow ye, and pay to the Lord your God: all you that are round about him bring presents. To him that is terrible,

13. even to him who taketh away the spirit of princes: to the terrible with the kings of the earth.