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Contemporary English Version

Deuteronomy 22:4

Oxen and donkeys that carry heavy loads can stumble and fall, and be unable to get up by themselves. So as you walk along the road, help anyone who is trying to get an ox or donkey back on its feet.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Brother;   Kindness;   Neighbor;   The Topic Concordance - Help;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ox, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Animals;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Justice;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Ethics;   Leviticus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Brotherhood (2);  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cattle;   Commandments, the 613;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen down on the road, do not ignore it; help him lift it up.
Hebrew Names Version
You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely help him to lift them up again.
King James Version
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
Lexham English Bible
"You shall not see the donkey of your neighbor or his ox fallen on the road and you ignore them; certainly you must help them get up along with him.
English Standard Version
You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.
New Century Version
If you see your fellow Israelite's donkey or ox fallen on the road, don't ignore it. Help the owner get it up.
New English Translation
When you see your neighbor's donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; instead, you must be sure to help him get the animal on its feet again.
Amplified Bible
"You shall not see your countryman's donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and ignore [your duty to help] them; you shall certainly help him lift it up.
New American Standard Bible
"You shall not see your countryman's donkey or his ox fallen down on the road, and avoid them; you shall certainly help him raise them up.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not see thy brothers asse nor his oxe fal downe by the way, and withdrawe thy selfe from them, but shalt lift them vp with him.
Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down on the way and ignore them; you shall certainly help him to raise them up.
Complete Jewish Bible
"If you see your brother's donkey or ox collapsed on the road, you may not behave as if you hadn't seen it; you must help him get them up on their feet again.
Darby Translation
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case [help] him to lift them up.
Easy-to-Read Version
"If your neighbor's donkey or ox has fallen down on the road, you must not ignore it. You must help your neighbor lift it up again.
George Lamsa Translation
You shall not see your enemys ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and turn away your eyes from them; but you shall surely help him to lift them up again.
Good News Translation
"If an Israelite's donkey or cow has fallen down, don't ignore it; help him get the animal to its feet again.
Literal Translation
You shall not see your brother's ass or his ox fallen down in the highway, and hide yourself from them. Lifting you shall help him lift it up.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thou se thy brothers oxe or Asse fallen downe by the waye, thou shalt not wt drawe thy selfe from him, but shalt helpe him vp.
American Standard Version
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
Bible in Basic English
If you see your brother's ox or his ass falling down on the road, do not go by without giving him help in lifting it up again.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou shalt not see thy brothers asse or oxe fall downe by the way, and withdrawe thy selfe from them: but shalt helpe hym to heaue them vp againe.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt not see thy brothers asse or his oxe fall downe by the way, and hide thy selfe from them: thou shalt surely helpe him to lift them vp againe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thou shalt not see the ass of thy brother, or his calf, fallen in the way: thou shalt not overlook them, thou shalt surely help him to raise them up.
English Revised Version
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
Berean Standard Bible
If you see your brother's donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If thou seest that the asse, ethir oxe of thi brothir felde in the weye, thou schalt not dispise, but thou schalt `reise with hym.
Young's Literal Translation
`Thou dost not see the ass of thy brother, or his ox, falling in the way, and hast hid thyself from them; thou dost certainly raise [them] up with him.
Update Bible Version
You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely help him to lift them up again.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift [them] up again.
World English Bible
You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely help him to lift them up again.
New King James Version
"You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.
New Living Translation
"If you see that your neighbor's donkey or ox has collapsed on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it back on its feet!
New Life Bible
If you see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the road, do not pretend that you do not see them. Be sure to help him lift them up again.
New Revised Standard
You shall not see your neighbor's donkey or ox fallen on the road and ignore it; you shall help to lift it up.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou shalt not see the ass of thy brother or his ox fallen in the way, and turn away from them, - thou shalt, raise, them with him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If thou see thy brother’s ass or his ox to be fallen down in the way, thou shalt not slight it, but shalt lift it up with him.
Revised Standard Version
You shall not see your brother's ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and withhold your help from them; you shall help him to lift them up again.
THE MESSAGE
If you see your fellow's donkey or ox injured along the road, don't look the other way. Help him get it up and on its way.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall not see your countryman's donkey or his ox fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly help him to raise them up.

Contextual Overview

1 Moses said to Israel: If you see a cow or sheep wandering around lost, take the animal back to its owner. 2 If the owner lives too far away, or if you don't know who the owner is, take the animal home with you and take care of it. The owner will come looking for the animal, and then you can give it back. 3 That's what you should do if you find anything that belongs to someone else. Do whatever you can to help, whether you find a cow or sheep or donkey or some clothing. 4 Oxen and donkeys that carry heavy loads can stumble and fall, and be unable to get up by themselves. So as you walk along the road, help anyone who is trying to get an ox or donkey back on its feet.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou shalt surely: Exodus 23:4, Exodus 23:5, Matthew 5:44, Luke 10:29-37, Romans 15:1, 2 Corinthians 12:15, Galatians 6:1, Galatians 6:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Hebrews 12:12, Hebrews 12:13

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 22:1 - hide thyself Matthew 12:11 - and if

Cross-References

Exodus 5:3
They answered, "The Lord God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war."
Exodus 15:22
After the Israelites left the Red Sea, Moses led them through the Shur Desert for three days, before finding water.
Exodus 19:11
and be ready by the day after tomorrow, when I will come down to Mount Sinai, where all of them can see me.
Exodus 19:15
He told them to be ready in three days and not to have sex in the meantime.
Leviticus 7:17
but any that is left must be destroyed. If you eat any after the second day, your sacrifice will be useless and unacceptable, and you will be both disgusting and guilty.
Numbers 10:33
The people of Israel began their journey from Mount Sinai. They traveled three days, and the Levites who carried the sacred chest led the way, so the Lord could show them where to camp.
Numbers 19:12
But if you wash with the water mixed with the cow's ashes on the third day and again on the seventh day, you will be clean and acceptable for worship. You must wash yourself on those days; if you don't, you will remain unclean.
Numbers 19:19
If this is done on the third day and on the seventh day, you will be clean. Then after you take a bath and wash your clothes, you can worship that evening.
Numbers 31:19
Then Moses said to the soldiers, "If you killed anyone or touched a dead body, you are unclean and have to stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third and seventh days, you must go through a ceremony to make yourselves and your captives clean.
Joshua 1:11
to go through the camp and tell everyone: In a few days we will cross the Jordan River to take the land that the Lord our God is giving us. So fix as much food as you'll need for the march into the land.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his ass fall down by the way,.... And lie under his burden, not being able to rise with it of himself, nor with all the assistance about it, without further help:

and hide thyself from them; cover thine eyes, or turn them another way, and make as if thou didst not see them in distress:

thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again; that is, help the brother and owner of it, the ox and ass; assist him in getting them up again, and lay on their burden, and fasten them aright, which either were rolled off by the fall, or were obliged to be taken off in order to raise them up; and if this was to be done for an enemy, then much more for a brother, as is required, :-, or "lifting up, thou shall lift them up with him" d; that is, most certainly do it, and lift with all his strength, and as often as there is occasion; if they fell down again after raised up, help is still to be continued, even, as Maimonides e says, though it was an hundred times.

d הקם תקים "erigendo eriges", Pagninus, Montanus. e Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 13. sect. 5.


 
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