Leviticus 19
God’s people should be different
The Existing One told Moses,
“Tell all the Israelites that they should be set apart, because I, the Existing One your God, am sacred. Each of you should revere his parents and observe my Sabbaths, because I am your God the Existing One. Don’t turn to idols or make any metal gods for yourselves, because I’m your God, the Existing One.
Don’t eat old meat
“When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to me, you should offer it so that you may be accepted. It should be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and any leftovers should be burned up on the third day. If it’s eaten on the third day, it won’t be accepted because it’s tainted. Anyone who eats it will carry his own wickedness because he has defiled what is sacred to the Existing One, and that person should be cut off from his people.
Give to the poor
“When you harvest your crops, you shouldn’t harvest it right up to the edge or gather the crops you dropped. You shouldn’t strip your vineyard bare or collect the grapes you dropped. Instead, you should leave them for the poor and the refugees. I am the Existing One your God.
Be fair and honest
“You shouldn’t steal. You shouldn’t make unfair deals. You shouldn’t lie to each other. You shouldn’t falsely swear on my name and taint the reputation of your God. I am the Existing One.
“You shouldn’t oppress your neighbor or steal from him. If you take another man’s hard earned wages, that money won’t even stay with you through the night until the morning. You shouldn’t curse the deaf or put an obstacle in front of the blind. Instead, you should fear your God, because I am the Existing One.
“You should always be fair in court. You shouldn’t treat the poor poorly or give special treatment to the people society admires. Instead, you should assess your neighbor without biases. You shouldn’t go around bad-mouthing your own people, and you shouldn’t do anything that threatens your neighbor’s life. I am the Existing One.
Treat others with love
“You shouldn’t hate your brother in your heart. You should negotiate honestly with your neighbor, so that you don’t end up sinning because of him. You shouldn’t take vengeance or hold a grudge against your own people, but instead, you should treat your neighbor with the same love that you treat yourself. I am the Existing One.
Be pure
“You should keep my rules. You shouldn’t let your cows breed with a different kind. You shouldn’t plant two different kinds of seeds in one field, and you shouldn’t wear clothes made of two different kinds of material.
“If a man sleeps with someone else’s female slave who hasn’t received her freedom yet, then a distinction needs to be made. They shouldn’t be killed because she wasn’t free. Instead, he should bring a ram to the meeting tent’s entrance as a guilt offering and compensation to the Existing One. The priest should use the ram to make amends for opposing the Existing One, and he will be forgiven.
Give God the first fruit
“When you plant any kind of tree for food, you shouldn’t eat its fruit for three years. In the fourth year, all its fruit should be set apart as a praise offering to the Existing One. You can eat its fruit in the fifth year, and enjoy your new income. I am the Existing One your God.
Rules for purity
“You shouldn’t eat any meat with blood in it. You shouldn’t interpret omens or tell fortunes. You shouldn’t round off the hair on your temples or disfigure the edges of your beard. You shouldn’t cut or tattoo your bodies for the dead. I am the Existing One.
“Don’t defile your daughter by maker her a prostitute, or the country will fall into prostitution and become full of perversion. You should keep my Sabbaths and revere my sanctuary. I am the Existing One.
“Don’t consult mediums or necromancers. Don’t go looking for them and defile yourselves with them. I am the Existing One your God.
Respect old people & foreigners
“When an old man walks into the room, you should stand up and honor him. Fear your God because I am the Existing One.
“When a foreigner visits your country, don’t do anything wrong to him. Treat your visitors like they are natives. Treat them with the same love that you treat yourselves, because you used to be foreigners in Egypt. I am the Existing One your God.
Be fair in your transactions
“You shouldn’t fudge the numbers when you measure anything’s length, weight, or quantity. Only use scales, rulers, and measurements that are accurate. I am the Existing One your God who brought you out of Egypt. You should follow all my rules. I am the Existing One.”