Deuteronomy 25:5 
Context| NET © | If brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, the dead man’s wife must not remarry someone outside the family. Instead, her late husband’s brother must go to her, marry her, 1 and perform the duty of a brother-in-law. 2 |
| NIV © | If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law to her. |
| NASB © | "When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. |
| NLT © | "If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother must marry her and fulfill the duties of a brother–in–law. |
| MSG © | When brothers are living together and one of them dies without having had a son, the widow of the dead brother shall not marry a stranger from outside the family; her husband's brother is to come to her and marry her and do the brother-in-law's duty by her. |
| BBE © | If brothers are living together and one of them, at his death, has no son, the wife of the dead man is not to be married outside the family to another man: let her husband’s brother go in to her and make her his wife, doing as it is right for a brother-in-law to do. |
| NRSV © | When brothers reside together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, taking her in marriage, and performing the duty of a husband’s brother to her, |
| NKJV © | "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family ; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | "When <03588> brothers <0251> live <03427> together <03164> and one <0259> of them dies <04191> and has <0369> no <0369> son <01121> , the wife <0802> of the deceased <04191> shall not be married outside <02351> the family to a strange <02114> man <0376> . Her husband's <02993> brother <02993> shall go <0935> in to her and take <03947> her to himself as wife <0802> and perform <02992> the duty <02992> of a husband's <02992> brother to her.<02992> |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | If <03588> brothers <0251> live <03427> together <03162> and one <0259> of them <01992> dies <04191> without <0369> having a son <01121> , the dead <04191> man’s wife <0802> must not <03808> remarry <02114> someone <0376> outside <02351> the family. Instead, her <0802> late husband’s brother <02993> must <03947> go <0935> to her, marry <03947> her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law .<02992> |
| NET © | If brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, the dead man’s wife must not remarry someone outside the family. Instead, her late husband’s brother must go to her, marry her, 1 and perform the duty of a brother-in-law. 2 |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn Heb “take her as wife”; NRSV “taking her in marriage.” 2 sn This is the so-called “levirate” custom (from the Latin term levir, “brother-in-law”), an ancient provision whereby a man who died without male descendants to carry on his name could have a son by proxy, that is, through a surviving brother who would marry his widow and whose first son would then be attributed to the brother who had died. This is the only reference to this practice in an OT legal text but it is illustrated in the story of Judah and his sons (Gen 38) and possibly in the account of Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 2:8; 3:12; 4:6). |
