If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.
If a wife becomes displeasing to her husband because he finds indecency in her, he may divorce her by writing a certificate, giving it to her, and sending her away.
This verse establishes the legal beginning of the case under discussion.
1If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. 2If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, 4then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. 5If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.