Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: Moses gives the people more laws for murder, adultery, rebellious children, rape, and getting rid of refuse.
If anyone is found dead in a field, and it is not known who killed him, the elders and judges should determine the closest city, and the elders of that city must bring a cow to a valley near a brook, kill it, and the priests are to come, and the elders are to wash their hands in the water and proclaim their innocence; they must ask God to atone for them so that they will not be guilty of innocent blood, and so Israel will "put away the guilt of innocent blood among [them] and [do what is right in the sight of the Lord." If Israel takes captives and a man sees a beautiful woman, he can bring her to his home, and she may shave her head and change clothes to mourn her husband for one month, and after he may take her as a wife. However, if he "has no delight in her," he may set her free but may not sell her. If a man has two wives and loves one but not the other, and they have both have children, if the firstborn son is from the unloved wife, the man must give preference and firstborn rights to him by giving him a double portion of all he has, because "the right of the firstborn is his." If a man has a stubborn or rebellious son who does not listen to his father or mother, his parents must bring him to the elders of the city at the gate and tell them, and he must be stoned, so that all Israel will hear and fear. If a man sins a sin worthy of death and is hanged, he must be buried that day so as not to defile the land, because "he who is hanged is accursed of God."
If a man sees his brother's ox or sheep going astray, he must return them to his brother, and if his brother is not near, he must bring it to his own house until his brother returns; he must do this with all his animals or garment or any lost item. If a man sees another man's animal fall, he must help it. Men should not wear women's clothing and visa versa. If a bird's nest is on the ground with eggs, they must let the mother go and keep the young so that it may go well with them. When they build a new house, they must build a parapet so that they will not acquire bloodshed if anyone falls accidentally. They should not sow mixed seed or plow an ox and donkey together or wear mixed garments. They must wear tassles on their clothing. If a man has a wife and charges her with shameful conduct of not being a virgin, the woman's father and mother must provide evidence of her virginity to the elders at the gate. They must tell the elders of the false charges and show the evidence. They are to spread the cloth before the elders, and the elders must punish the man and fine him 100 shekels of silver and give them to the father since her husband tried to give her a bad name. She will be his wife, and he cannot divorce her. However, if the evidence can't be shown and the accusations are true, she is to be brought to the elders and stoned. If a man is found to be an adulterer, both he and the woman both must die. If a young virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her and lies with her, they must both be stoned, if she did not cry out for help. If a man rapes her, however, only he must die, as the Lord compares rape to murder. If a man lies with an unbetrothed virgin, the man must give her father 50 shekels of silver and marry her; he cannot divorce her, because he" has humbled her." A man cannot have his father's wife.
Whoever is "emasculated by crushing or mutilation" cannot enter "the assembly of the Lord". One of illegitimate birth cannot enter, to the tenth generation, neither an Ammonite or a Moabite to the tenth generation, since they refused Israel bread and water in the desert and hired Balaam to curse them. (But "the Lord would not listen to Balaam" and "turned the curse into a blessing, because He loves them.") They are not to seek their peace or prosperity for this reason. They are not to "abhor an Edomite" as he is their brethren or an Egyptian, because they lived in their land as aliens. Children of the third generation born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord. When they wage war, they are to keep themselves from unclean things. They are to have a place outside the camp for using the bathroom, because "the Lord walks in the midst of [them]," so their camp must be holy; the Lord should not see any unclean thing so that He will not turn away from them. If a slave escapes to them, they are not to return him but to let him dwell with them wherever he seems best. There must be no "ritual harlots of women or perverted men." They are not to bring money from harlots or from a dog that is bought to the Lord as an offering. They are not to charge interest to their brethren. When they make vows to the Lord, they must obey them immediately. They may eat of a neighbor's vineyard or grain but may not take any home for themselves or harvest it.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
"Be holy, for I am holy" takes on a new meaning when you see the consequences given in the old testament for some behaviors that are considered "the norm" nowadays. However, if we will follow the law of love- if we seek to love the Lord with all we are and all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves, then we will have nothing to fear.