The Skeptics Annotated Bible (83 page)

30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.

31 And
ye shall be holy men unto me
: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

(22.31)
“Ye shall be holy men unto me.”
113 Is only God holy?

(23.1-11) A few good rules (and contradictions)

23
Thou shalt not raise a false report
: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

(23.1)
“Thou shalt not raise a false report.”
86 Is it OK to lie?

2
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil
; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

(23.2)
“Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.”
Don’t do what everyone else does, if what they do is wrong.

3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

(23.4-5) Be kind to your enemies.
114 How should we treat our enemies?

4
If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

(23.4)
“If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.”

5
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.

(23.5)
“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.”

6
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

(23.6)
“Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.”

7
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not
: for I will not justify the wicked.

(23.7)
“Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not.”
86 Is it OK to lie?
109 Is it OK to kill?

8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

9 Also
thou shalt not oppress a stranger
: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

(23.9)
“Thou shalt not oppress a stranger.”
112 How should strangers be treated?

10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:

11 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.

(23.11)
“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.”
Every seventh year leave your field unharvested, so that poor people and animals will have something to eat.

12 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.

13 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.

(23.13)
“Make no mention of the name of other gods.”
Don’t even mention the names of the other gods.
9 How many gods are there?

14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

15 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:)

(23.15)
“Thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days.”
98 How many days is unleavened bread to be eaten?

16 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.

17
Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.