6 It is wrong to take a set of millstones, or even just the upper millstone, as security for a loan, for the owner uses it to make a living. 7 If anyone kidnaps a fellow Israelite and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you. 8-9 In all cases involving serious skin diseases, be careful to follow the instructions of the Levitical priests; obey all the commands I have given them.  Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam as you were coming from Egypt.

10-13 If you lend anything to your neighbour, do not enter his house to pick up the item he is giving as security. You must wait outside while he goes in and brings it out to you.  If your neighbour is poor and gives you his cloak as security for a loan, do not keep the cloak overnight. Return the cloak to its owner by sunset so he can stay warm through the night and bless you, and the Lord your God will count you as righteous. 14-15 Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t, they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin.

16 Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes. 17-18 True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt. Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command.

19-22 When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord  your God will bless you in all you do.  When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.  When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.  Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command. Deuteronomy 24:6-22 New Living Translation paraphrase (English Standard Version link)

The essence of this longer reading (and my comments will be brief) was that the Israelites were taught to be compassionate, respectful of others, and generous. Notice especially vs 10-13 and vs 17-18. They were always to keep in mind the kindness and mercy God had shown to them when they were slaves in Egypt. In a similar way, Christians are called to love others as God has loved us, and to forgive as we have been forgiven. What was the danger warned against in vs 14-15?

It's common for those who are bosses and well off to forget how much those with little depend on getting their wages on time. More so in those days when there were no 'minimum wage' regulations. We see a further example of compassion in vs 19-22 where the wealthier landowners were encouraged to not be misers, but be willing to share with those who were in need. Once again, the reason for doing this was because of the kindness God had shown to them. They were to remember His mercies and show mercy to others. Intermingled with these verses were instructions for the terrible crime of kidnapping (vs 7), rules to follow if someone contracted leprosy (vs 8-9), and of individual responsibility (vs 16). In the case of leprosy, the person was to be isolated from the camp so as not to infect others. That's what happened to even Moses' sister-in-law, Miriam. God was teaching His people about obedience and compassion.

This is true for Christians too. We are called to be holy because God is holy - and to love one another because He has loved us. Writing to gentile Christians, Paul said: “Remember that once you were excluded from citizenship in Israel, without hope and without God . .  but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:12)