International Children’s Bible

Exodus 23:3-16 International Children’s Bible (ICB)

3. A poor man might be in court. You must not take his side just because he is poor.

4. “You might see your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away. Then you must return it to him.

5. You might see that your enemy’s donkey has fallen because its load is too heavy. You must not leave it there. You must help your enemy get the donkey back on its feet.

6. “You must not be unfair to a poor man when he is in court.

7. You must not lie when you accuse someone in court. Never allow an innocent or honest person to be put to death as punishment. This is because I will not treat guilty people as if they were innocent.

8. “You must not accept money from a person who wants you to lie in court. Such money will not let you see what is right. Such money makes good people tell lies.

9. “You must not mistreat a foreigner. You know how it feels to be a foreigner. You were foreigners in Egypt.

10. “For six years you are to plant and harvest crops on your land.

11. Then during the seventh year, do not plow or plant your land. If any food grows there, allow the poor people to have it. And let the wild animals eat what is left. You should do the same with your vineyards and your orchards of olive trees.

12. “You should work six days a week. But on the seventh day you must rest. This lets your ox and your donkey rest. This also lets the slave born in your house and the foreigner be refreshed.

13. “Be sure to do all that I have said to you. You must not even say the names of other gods. The names of those gods must not come out of your mouth.

14. “Three times each year you must hold a feast to honor me.

15. You must celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Do this in the way I commanded you. For seven days you must eat bread that is made without yeast. You must do this at the set time during the month of Abib. This is the month when you came out of Egypt. No one is to come to worship me without bringing an offering.

16. “You must celebrate the Feast of Harvest. Offer to God the first things you harvest. These are from the crops you planted in your fields.“You must celebrate the Feast of Tents in the fall. Do this when you gather all the crops from your fields.