Deuteronomy, 25

1. If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that [the judges] may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

1. When there is a dispute between two persons, let them go to the judges. These will declare who is righteous and who is guilty.

2. And it shall be, if the wicked man [be] worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

2. If he deserves flogging, the judge shall make him fall down on the ground in his presence and shall have him flogged with the number of stripes in proportion to his sin.

3. Forty stripes he may give him, [and] not exceed: lest, [if] he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

3. You may give him forty stripes - not more - otherwise, the punishment would be too much and your brother would be dishonored in your eyes.

4. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].

4. Do not muzzle an ox when it threshes the grain.

5. If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

5. If two brothers live together and one of them dies without any child, the wife of the dead man shall not marry anyone other than the brother of her husband. He shall take her as his wife and shall give offspring to his brother.

6. And it shall be, [that] the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother [which is] dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

6. The first son she bears will perpetuate the name and the family of the dead. In this way his name shall not be wiped out of Israel.

7. And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.

7. If the brother-in-law refuses to take her for his wife, she shall present herself at the city gates and say to the elders, "My brother-in-law refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel. He does not want to perform his duty as brother-in-law in my favor."

8. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and [if] he stand [to it], and say, I like not to take her;

8. Then the judges shall call this man and speak to him. If he persists and says: "I do not want to take her for my wife,"

9. Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.

9. his sister-in-law shall go up to him and in the presence of the judges remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face and say these words, "So shall it be done to the man who does not perpetuate the name of his brother."

10. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

10. His family shall be called in Israel "the house of the barefooted one."

11. When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:

11. If two men fight with each other and the wife of one draws near to save her husband from the blows of the other, extends her hand and grasps him by the testicles,

12. Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity [her].

12. you shall cut off the woman's hand without pity.

13. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.

13. You shall not keep in your bag two weights, one heavier and the other lighter,

14. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.

14. nor shall you have in your house a large measure and a small one.

15. [But] thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

15. You shall have a full and exact weight, and an equally just and exact measure, that you may lengthen your days in the land which Yahweh, your God, gives you.

16. For all that do such things, [and] all that do unrighteously, [are] an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

16. Because Yahweh hates him who does such things and any kind of injustice.

17. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

17. Remember what Amalek did to you when you were on the road, coming out of Egypt.

18. How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, [even] all [that were] feeble behind thee, when thou [wast] faint and weary; and he feared not God.

18. He went out to meet you on the way and when you were weak and tired attacked all who were left behind. He had no fear of God.

19. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it, [that] thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget [it].

19. Therefore, when Yahweh, your God, after subduing all your enemies around you, has given you rest in the land which he gives you, you shall wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens. Do not forget.