Deuteronomy 17
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1Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him.1You must not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or sheep with a defect or any serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God."
2If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the LORD gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God in violation of his covenant,2If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that the LORD your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and violating His covenant
3and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky,3and has gone to worship other gods by bowing down to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky--which I have forbidden--
4and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,4and if you are told or hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable thing has happened in Israel,
5take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.5you must bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.
6On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.6The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness.
7The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.7The witnesses' hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you."
8If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge--whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults--take them to the place the LORD your God will choose.8If a case is too difficult for you--concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults--cases disputed at your gates, you must go up to the place the LORD your God chooses.
9Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.9You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Ask, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
10You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do.10You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD chooses. Be careful to do exactly as they instruct you.
11Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.11You must abide by the instruction they give you and the verdict they announce to you. Do not turn to the right or the left from the decision they declare to you.
12Anyone who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the LORD your God is to be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.12The person who acts arrogantly, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there serving the LORD your God or to the judge, must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
13All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.13Then all the people will hear about it, be afraid, and no longer behave arrogantly."
14When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,"14When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, take possession of it, live in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations around me,'
15be sure to appoint over you a king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.15you are to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. Appoint a king from your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people.
16The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again."16However, he must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire many horses, for the LORD has told you, 'You are never to go back that way again.'
17He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.17He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won't go astray. He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself.
18When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests.18When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
19It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees19It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes.
20and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.20Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, he will not turn from this command to the right or the left, and he and his sons will continue ruling many years over Israel."
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Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Deuteronomy 16
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