Exodus Chapter 23
Showing all 33 verses for Exodus Chapter 23.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. "
"Do not spread a false report. Do not team up with a wrongdoer to give dishonest testimony."
Jesus would tell you that truth is not a tool to be bent for advantage. Don't spread a rumour you haven't checked, and don't let yourself be talked into backing someone else's lie just because it's convenient or popular. Every word you say about another person carries real weight - be someone whose word can be trusted, even when honesty costs you an easy alliance.
"Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: "
"Do not follow the crowd to do wrong. When giving evidence in a dispute, do not twist the truth just to side with the majority."
Peer pressure is ancient - Jesus knows how easy it is to go along with the crowd, especially when the crowd is doing wrong and disagreeing feels lonely or risky. He calls you to have the quiet courage to say 'no, that's not right' even when everyone around you is saying yes. Popularity was never proof of righteousness.
"Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. "
"And do not favour a poor person's case simply because he is poor."
It might seem kind to always side with the underdog, but Jesus calls for real fairness, not sentimentality. Justice means judging the facts of a case honestly, not tilting the scales because you feel sorry for someone. True compassion for the poor is shown elsewhere in generous, practical care - not in bending the truth in a courtroom or dispute.
"If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. "
"If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, you must bring it back to him."
Jesus calls you to kindness that crosses the line of personal grudges - even help your enemy's ox if you find it wandering. Love isn't reserved for people who like you; it's shown in small practical acts of decency towards those who don't. Doing the right thing for someone who has wronged you is one of the clearest signs of a heart shaped by grace.
"If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. "
"If you see the donkey of someone who hates you struggling under its load, don't just walk past — go and help him."
Notice how specific and physical this command is - don't just feel sympathy, actually stop and help lift the burden, even for someone who hates you. Jesus calls you to let compassion override resentment, to be the one who helps rather than the one who walks past because you're owed a grudge. Kindness in action outweighs the satisfaction of ignoring someone who's wronged you.
"Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. "
"Do not deny justice to a poor person in his legal case."
Justice must be blind to a person's wealth or status - a poor man's case deserves exactly the same careful, honest hearing as anyone else's. Jesus would remind you never to let someone's poverty become an excuse to dismiss their claim or shortcut their rights. Every person's cause matters equally before what is right.
"Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. "
"Stay far away from false accusations. Do not put an innocent or honest person to death — I will not acquit the guilty."
God takes false accusation and the punishment of the innocent with deadly seriousness - He says plainly He will not justify the wicked who do this. Jesus calls you to keep far away from deceit in every dealing, not just to avoid lying yourself but to actively distance yourself from situations built on falsehood. Integrity means staying clear of the whole territory of dishonesty.
"And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. "
"Do not take bribes, because a bribe blinds those who can see clearly and twists the words of those who are in the right."
Bribery blinds even the wise, twisting judgement away from truth - Jesus calls you to refuse anything, however small, that could compromise your honesty in a decision affecting someone else. Integrity isn't just about big moral stands; it's about refusing the quiet, comfortable compromises that corrupt fairness one gift at a time.
"Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. "
"Do not oppress a foreigner — you yourselves know what it feels like to be a foreigner, since you were foreigners in Egypt."
God grounds this command in empathy - remember what it felt like to be a stranger, because you were one. Jesus calls you to let your own past hardships soften you towards others going through something similar now, rather than hardening you or making you indifferent. Compassion for the outsider comes from remembering you were once the outsider too.
"And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: "
"For six years, sow your fields and gather in the harvest."
Even the land itself was given a rhythm of work and rest under this law - a reminder that everything, including the ground you depend on, needs seasons of both productivity and recovery. Jesus calls you to build rest and renewal into your life and work rather than pushing endlessly without pause.
"But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. "
"But in the seventh year, let the land rest and lie fallow. Let the poor among your people eat whatever grows on its own, and let wild animals eat what's left. Do the same with your vineyards and olive groves."
The seventh-year rest wasn't only about the land recovering - it was designed so the poor could eat freely from what grew wild. Jesus calls you to see how your rhythms of work and rest can be structured with generosity towards others in mind, not purely for personal gain. Even your downtime can be an act of care for people less fortunate than you.
"Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. "
"Work for six days, and rest on the seventh — so that your ox and donkey can rest too, and your servant's children and any foreigner living with you can be refreshed."
Rest here extends even to your animals and to the people who work for you - a weekly rhythm meant to refresh everyone, not just the household head. Jesus calls you to care about the wellbeing of those under your authority or employment, making sure rest isn't a privilege you keep only for yourself.
"And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. "
"Pay close attention to everything I've told you. Do not even mention the names of other gods — don't let them be heard from your mouth."
Jesus calls you to guard your heart and your speech against divided loyalty - don't even casually name or acknowledge things that compete with your devotion to God. Wholehearted commitment matters more than you might think; small compromises in language or habit can slowly erode conviction.
"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. "
"Three times a year you are to hold a festival in my honour."
God asks for regular, intentional gatherings of worship and celebration through the year - not sporadic devotion but a rhythm of coming before Him together. Jesus calls you to build consistent habits of worship and community into your life, not leaving faith to occasional impulse.
"Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) "
"Keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread: eat bread made without yeast for seven days, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because that is when you came out of Egypt. No one is to come before me empty-handed."
The feast of unleavened bread kept alive the memory of a specific, real act of deliverance - eating plain bread as a yearly reminder of dependence and rescue. Jesus calls you to build practices into your life that keep you remembering what God has done for you, so gratitude doesn't fade with time.
"And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. "
"Also keep the Festival of Harvest, when you bring in the first crops from what you have sown, and the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in everything from your fields."
The feast of harvest celebrated firstfruits - giving thanks at the very start of the gathering season rather than waiting until everything was safely in. Jesus calls you to practice gratitude early and generously, trusting God with the first and best of what you have rather than only the leftover.
"Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God. "
"Three times a year, all the men are to appear before the Lord God."
Three times a year, everyone was to gather before God together - a rhythm designed to keep community and worship inseparable. Jesus calls you to remember that faith isn't meant to be lived in isolation; regular gathering with others before God strengthens and sustains you.
"Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning. "
"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice along with anything containing yeast, and do not let the fat from a festival sacrifice remain until morning."
The details of sacrifice mattered to God - not out of pedantry, but because how you offer something reflects your heart's sincerity. Jesus calls you to bring your best and your genuine self in worship, not careless or corrupted offerings, whether that's your time, your honesty, or your effort.
"The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk. "
"Bring the best of the firstfruits of your land to the house of the Lord your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."
Bringing the very first and best of the harvest to God's house was an act of trust - giving before you know exactly how much more is coming. Jesus calls you to practice that same trust: honouring God first with what you have, rather than waiting to see what's left over.
"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. "
"Look, I am sending a messenger ahead of you to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared."
God promises to send guidance and protection ahead of His people into the unknown - a comforting reminder that you're never asked to walk into difficulty alone. Jesus calls you to trust that God goes before you, preparing the way, even into circumstances that feel uncertain or frightening.
"Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. "
"Pay close attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not defy him — he will not forgive rebellion, because he carries my authority."
Obedience matters because guidance only helps if you actually follow it - God warns Israel to listen carefully to the one He sends ahead of them. Jesus calls you to cultivate a listening, obedient heart, since even the clearest guidance is wasted on someone unwilling to follow it.
"But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. "
"But if you truly listen to him and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes."
Obedience isn't just a private matter - it shapes your relationships and your protection in the world. God promises that faithful obedience brings Him actively on your side against opposition. Jesus calls you to trust that a life aligned with God's voice is never left undefended.
"For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. "
"My messenger will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites — and I will wipe them out."
God names the very real, very human obstacles standing between Israel and the promise - nations that must be faced, not avoided. Jesus calls you to trust God's presence through real, named difficulties in your own life rather than pretending challenges don't exist. Faith engages hardship, it doesn't deny it.
"Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. "
"Do not bow down to their gods or worship them or copy their practices. Instead, tear their gods down completely and smash their sacred stones to pieces."
God calls for a clean break from surrounding idolatry - not partial compromise, not quiet tolerance, but complete separation. Jesus calls you to examine your own life for anything that has quietly taken God's place, and to be decisive, not half-hearted, about removing it.
"And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. "
"Serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your food and water, and take sickness away from among you."
Serving God faithfully is tied here to blessing on the most basic necessities of life - bread and water. Jesus calls you to see that faithfulness and provision are connected; a life oriented towards God brings a kind of daily sustenance and peace that self-reliance alone cannot provide.
"There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil. "
"No woman will miscarry or be unable to have children in your land, and I will give you a full lifespan."
God promises fruitfulness and long life as part of His covenant care - practical, tangible blessing woven into faithful living. Jesus calls you to trust that a life given to God is not a diminished life, but one where God actively works for your flourishing in ways both seen and unseen.
"I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. "
"I will send my terror ahead of you, throw every people you meet into panic, and make all your enemies turn and run."
God promises to go ahead of His people, unsettling their opposition before they even arrive - victory prepared in advance. Jesus calls you to trust that the battles you face are not yours to win by strength alone; God is already working ahead of you in ways you cannot see.
"And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. "
"I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites before you."
Even the smallest creatures - hornets - become instruments of God's deliverance here, a reminder that God's power doesn't need to look impressive to be effective. Jesus calls you to trust that God can use unexpected, even small means to accomplish His purposes in your life.
"I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. "
"But I will not drive them out in a single year, or the land will become empty and wild animals will multiply and threaten you."
God's timing is deliberate, not rushed - He drives out the nations gradually so the land itself isn't left desolate and overrun by wild beasts. Jesus calls you to trust God's pacing in your own life, even when you'd prefer immediate, total change; His timing often protects you in ways you can't yet see.
"By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. "
"I will drive them out little by little, until you have grown enough in number to take full possession of the land."
Growth and inheritance come by degrees - 'little and little' - not all at once. Jesus calls you to be patient with your own spiritual and practical growth, trusting that steady progress is still real progress, even when it feels slower than you'd like.
"And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. "
"I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates river. I will hand over the people living there to you, and you will drive them out ahead of you."
God sets clear boundaries for the promised land - generous but defined. Jesus calls you to see that God's provision, while abundant, also comes with wise limits; not every expansion or ambition is part of His good plan for you, and that's not a lack but a form of care.
"Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. "
"Do not make any treaty with them or with their gods."
God warns against forming covenants or alliances with those still devoted to false gods - not out of prejudice, but because such ties quietly pull the heart away from Him. Jesus calls you to be thoughtful about the commitments and alliances you make, since they shape your loyalties more than you might expect.
"They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee. "
"Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me — because if you serve their gods, it will become a trap for you."
God's warning is protective, not harsh - He knows that proximity to idolatry becomes a snare that draws people away from Him over time. Jesus calls you to take seriously the influences you allow close to your life, since what surrounds you shapes what you become, often gradually and almost unnoticed.