Exodus 23 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Thou shalt not accept a false report; extend not thy hand to the wicked, to be an unrighteous witness.
1 “You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
2 Thou shalt not follow the multitude for evil; neither shalt thou answer in a cause, to go after the multitude to pervert [judgment].
2 “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.
3 Neither shalt thou favour a poor man in his cause.
3 You shall not favor a poor man in his cause.
4 — If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt certainly bring it back to him.
4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under its burden, beware of leaving [it] to him: thou shalt certainly loosen [it] with him.
5 If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don’t leave him. You shall surely help him with it.
6 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
6 “You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
7 Thou shalt keep far from the cause of falsehood; and the innocent and righteous slay not; for I will not justify the wicked.
7 “Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.
8 And thou shalt take no bribe; for the bribe blindeth those whose eyes are open, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
8 “You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.
9 And the stranger thou shalt not oppress; for ye know the spirit of the stranger, for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt.
9 “You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and gather in its produce;
10 “For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase,
11 but in the seventh thou shalt let it rest and lie [fallow], that the poor of thy people may eat [of it]; and what they leave, the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thine olive-tree.
11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the animal of the field shall eat. In the same way, you shall deal with your vineyard and with your olive grove.
12 — Six days thou shalt do thy work, but 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.
12 “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant, and the alien may be refreshed.
13 And ye shall be on your guard as to everything that I have said unto you; and shall make no mention of the name of other gods — it shall not be heard in thy mouth.
13 “Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and don’t invoke the name of other gods or even let them be heard out of your mouth.
14 Thrice in the year thou shalt celebrate a feast to me.
14 “You shall observe a feast to me three times a year.
15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread, (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I have commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt; and none shall appear in my presence empty;)
15 You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month Abib (for in it you came out of Egypt), and no one shall appear before me empty.
16 and the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labours which thou hast sown in the field, and the feast of in-gathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labours out of the field.
16 And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field; and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in your labors out of the field.
17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear in the presence of the Lord Jehovah.
17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord Yahweh.
18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my feast remain all night until the morning.
18 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread. The fat of my feast shall not remain all night until the morning.
19 The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
19 You shall bring the first of the first fruits of your ground into the house of Yahweh your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee to the place that I have prepared.
20 “Behold, I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21 Be careful in his presence, and hearken unto his voice: do not provoke him, for he will not forgive your transgressions; for my name is in him.
21 Pay attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him.
22 But if thou shalt diligently hearken unto his voice, and do all that I shall say, then I will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries.
22 But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
23 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.
23 For my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them off.
24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their deeds; but thou shalt utterly destroy them, and utterly shatter their statues.
24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars.
25 And ye shall serve Jehovah your God; and he shall bless thy bread and thy water; and I will take sickness away from thy midst.
25 You shall serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.
26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land; the number of thy days will I fulfil.
26 No one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days.
27 I will send my fear before thee, and confound every people to which thou comest, and will make all thine enemies turn their back to thee.
27 I will send my terror before you, and will confuse all the people to whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
28 I will send the hornet before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you.
29 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.
29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the animals of the field multiply against you.
30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou art fruitful, and possess the land.
30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land.
31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness unto the river; for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, that thou mayest dispossess them from before thee.
31 I will set your border from the Red Sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me; for if thou serve their gods, it is sure to be a snare unto thee.
33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 101:5; Proverbs 19:5; Deuteronomy 19:16–21; Matthew 26:59–61; Exodus 20:16
- 2 Proverbs 1:10–11; Proverbs 1:15; Luke 23:23–24; Job 31:34; Matthew 27:24–26
- 3 Leviticus 19:15; James 3:17; Psalm 82:2–3; Deuteronomy 1:17
- 4 Deuteronomy 22:1–4; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Romans 12:17–21; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27–28
- 5 Deuteronomy 22:4
- 6 Jeremiah 5:28; Malachi 3:5; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Isaiah 10:1–2; Exodus 23:2–3
- 7 Ephesians 4:25; Exodus 23:1; Deuteronomy 27:25; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Romans 1:18
- 8 Deuteronomy 16:19; Isaiah 5:23; Proverbs 17:23; Proverbs 15:27; 1 Samuel 8:3
- 9 Deuteronomy 27:19; Exodus 22:21; Deuteronomy 24:14–18; Matthew 18:33; Exodus 21:21
- 10 Leviticus 25:3–4
- 11 Leviticus 25:2–7; Leviticus 26:34–35; Leviticus 25:11–12; Leviticus 25:20; Leviticus 25:22
- 12 Luke 13:14; Exodus 35:3; Exodus 31:15–16; Exodus 20:8–11; Exodus 34:21
- 13 Joshua 23:7; Zechariah 13:2; Deuteronomy 4:9; 1 Timothy 4:16; Hosea 2:17
- 14 Deuteronomy 16:16; Leviticus 23:34; Exodus 23:17; Leviticus 23:16; Exodus 34:22–24
- 15 Luke 22:7; Proverbs 3:9–10; Exodus 34:20; Numbers 28:16–25; Deuteronomy 16:16
- 16 Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 23:9–21; Leviticus 23:34–44; Exodus 22:29; Numbers 29:12–39
- 17 Deuteronomy 16:16; Exodus 34:23; Deuteronomy 31:11; Psalm 84:7; Exodus 23:14
- 18 Exodus 34:25; Deuteronomy 16:4; Exodus 12:10; Leviticus 2:11; Leviticus 7:15
- 19 Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21; Nehemiah 10:35; Deuteronomy 26:10; Exodus 22:29
- 20 Exodus 33:14; Psalm 91:11; Exodus 32:34; Exodus 14:19; Exodus 33:2
- 21 Psalm 78:56; Hebrews 12:25; Psalm 78:40; John 10:38; John 10:30
- 22 Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 30:7; Zechariah 2:8; Jeremiah 30:20; Acts 9:4–5
- 23 Exodus 23:20; Isaiah 5:13; Genesis 34:2; Genesis 15:19–21; Exodus 32:2
- 24 Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 12:30–31; Numbers 33:52; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3
- 25 Deuteronomy 7:15; Exodus 15:26; Joshua 22:5; Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 33:24
- 26 Deuteronomy 7:14; Deuteronomy 28:4; Job 5:26; Job 21:10; Isaiah 65:20
- 27 Deuteronomy 2:25; Genesis 35:5; Deuteronomy 11:25; Deuteronomy 7:23; Psalm 18:40
- 28 Deuteronomy 7:20; Joshua 24:11–12
- 29 Deuteronomy 7:22; Judges 3:1–4; Joshua 17:12–13; Joshua 15:63; Joshua 16:10
- 31 Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 21:44; Numbers 34:3–15; Joshua 1:4
- 32 Exodus 34:12; Deuteronomy 7:2; Exodus 34:15; 2 Corinthians 6:15; Psalm 106:35
- 33 Psalm 106:36; Deuteronomy 7:16; Joshua 23:13; Exodus 34:12; Judges 2:3
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… thy sins which thou hast committed aforetime are come to light; for thou hast pronounced false judgments, and hast been accustomed to condemn the innocent, and to let the guilty go free, albeit the Lord saith, The innocent and the righteous shalt thou not slay." Of whom also did the Lord say: "But if the evil servant shall say in …