Study Desk

But if a man's bull has hurt other animals in the past, that owner is responsible for his bull. If his bull kills another bull, he is guilty because he allowed the bull to be free. That man must pay bull for bull. He must trade his bull for the bull that was killed.

If he owns nothing, then he will be sold as a slave. But if the man still has the animal and you find it, that man must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole. It doesn't matter if the animal was a bull, a donkey, or a sheep. "If a thief is killed while trying to break into a house at night, then no one will be guilty for killing him. But if this happens during the day, the one who killed him will be guilty of murder.

"A man might start a fire to burn thornbushes on his field. But if the fire grows and burns his neighbor's crops or the grain growing on the neighbor's field, the man who started the fire must pay for what he burned.

"A man might ask his neighbor to take care of an animal for a short time. It might be a donkey, a bull, or a sheep. But what should you do if that animal is hurt or dies or someone takes the animal while no one is looking?

But if the neighbor stole the animal, then he must pay the owner for the animal.

But if the owner was there, then the neighbor does not have to pay. Or if the neighbor was paying money to use the animal for work, he will not have to pay if the animal dies or is hurt. The money he paid to use the animal will be enough payment.

You might take their cloak to make sure they pay the money back, but you must give that cloak back to them before sunset.

But the seventh year must be a special time of rest for the land. Don't plant anything in your fields. If any crops grow there, allow the poor to have it. And allow the wild animals to eat the food that is left. You should do the same with your vineyards and with your fields of olive trees.

"Work for six days, but on the seventh day, rest! This will allow your slaves and other workers a time to rest and relax. And your bulls and donkeys will also have a time of rest.

"My angel will lead you through the land. He will lead you against many different people—the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. But I will defeat all of them.

But I will not force all of them out of your land quickly. I will not do this in only one year. The land will be empty if I force the people out too fast. Then all the wild animals would increase and control the land. And they would be much trouble for you.

All the leaders of Israel saw God, but God did not destroy them. They all ate and drank together.

There may be people who will want to make some of this incense for themselves so that they can enjoy the smell. But whoever does this must be separated from their people."

There are six other days in the week for working. But the seventh day is a very special day of rest. That is the special day to honor the Lord . Anyone who works during the Sabbath must be killed.

The people saw that a long time had passed and Moses had not come down from the mountain. So they gathered around Aaron. They said to him, "Look, Moses led us out of the land of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him. So make us some gods to go before us and lead us."

But Moses begged the Lord his God, " Lord , don't let your anger destroy your people. You brought them out of Egypt with your great power and strength.

But if you destroy your people, the Egyptians will say, ‘God planned to do bad things to his people. That is why he led them out of Egypt. He wanted to kill them in the mountains. He wanted to wipe them off the earth.' So don't be angry with your people. Please change your mind! Don't destroy them.

The people said to me, ‘Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him. So make us some gods to lead us.'

The next morning Moses told the people, "You have committed a terrible sin! But now I will go up to the Lord , and maybe I can do something so that he will forgive you for your sin."

But the Lord said to Moses, "The only people I erase from my book are those who sin against me.