Deuteronomy 17

Administration of Justice

1“1You shall not sacrificeH2076 to the LordH3068 your GodH430 an oxH7794 or a sheepH7716 whichH834 hasH1961 a blemishH4140 or anyH3605 2defectH1697H7451, for that is a detestableH8441 thingH8441 to the LordH3068 your GodH430.

2“3IfH3588 there is foundH4672 in your midstH7130, in anyH259 of your 4townsH8179, whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you, a manH376 orH176 a womanH802 whoH834 doesH6213 whatH7451 is evilH7451 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068 your GodH430, by transgressingH5674 His covenantH1285, 3and has goneH1980 and 5servedH5647 otherH312 godsH430 and worshipedH7812 them, 6or the sunH8121 orH176 the moonH3394 orH176 anyH3605 of the heavenlyH8064 hostH6635, 7whichH834 I have not commandedH6680, 4and if it is toldH5046 you and you have heardH8085 of it, then you shall inquireH1875 thoroughlyH3190. BeholdH2009, if it is trueH571 and the thingH1697 certainH3559 that thisH2088 detestableH8441 thingH8441 has been doneH6213 in IsraelH3478, 5then you shall bringH3318 out that manH376 orH176 that womanH802 whoH834 has doneH6213 thisH2088 evilH7451 deedH1697 to your gatesH8179, that is, the manH376 orH176 the womanH802, and 8you shall stoneH5619 them to 9deathH4191. 610On the 11evidenceH6310 of twoH8147 witnessesH5707 orH176 threeH7969 witnessesH5707, he who is to dieH4191 shall be putH4191 to deathH4191; he shall not be putH4191 to deathH4191 on the 12evidenceH6310 of oneH259 witnessH5707. 713The handH3027 of the witnessesH5707 shall be firstH7223 against him to putH4191 him to deathH4191, and afterwardH314 the handH3027 of allH3605 the peopleH5971. 14So you shall purgeH1197 the evilH7451 from your midstH7130.

8“15IfH3588 any caseH1697 is tooH4480 difficultH6381 for you to decideH4941, betweenH996 16one kind of homicideH1818 or anotherH1818, betweenH996 17one kind of lawsuitH1779 or anotherH1779, and betweenH996 18one kind of assaultH5061 or anotherH5061, being casesH1697 of disputeH7379 in your 19courtsH8179, then you shall ariseH6965 and goH5927 up to 20the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 choosesH977. 9So you shall comeH935 to 21the LeviticalH3881 priestH3548 or the judgeH8199 whoH834 is in office in thoseH1992 daysH3117, and you shall inquireH1875 of them and they will declareH5046 to you the verdictH1697 in the caseH4941. 10You shall doH6213 accordingH5921 to the 22termsH6310 of the verdictH1697 whichH834 they declareH5046 to you from that placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 choosesH977; and you shall be carefulH8104 to observeH6213 according to allH3605 that they teachH3384 you. 1123AccordingH5921 to the 24termsH6310 of the lawH8451 whichH834 they teachH3384 you, and accordingH5921 to the verdictH4941 whichH834 they tellH5046 you, you shall doH6213; you shall not turnH5493 asideH5493 from the wordH1697 whichH834 they declareH5046 to you, to the rightH3225 or the leftH8040. 12The manH376 whoH834 actsH6213 25presumptuouslyH2087 by not listeningH8085 to the priestH3548 who standsH5975 thereH8033 to serveH8334 the LordH3068 your GodH430, norH176 to the judgeH8199, that manH376 shall dieH4191; thus you shall purgeH1197 the evilH7451 from IsraelH3478. 13Then allH3605 the peopleH5971 will hearH8085 and be afraidH3372, and will not actH2102 26presumptuouslyH2102 againH5750.

14“WhenH3588 you enterH935 the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 you, and you 27possessH3423 it and liveH3427 in it, and you sayH559, ‘28I will setH7760 a kingH4428 overH5921 me like allH3605 the nationsH1471 whoH834 are aroundH5439 me,’ 15you shall surelyH7760 setH7760 a kingH4428 overH5921 you whomH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 choosesH977, one 29from amongH7130 your 30countrymenH251 you shall setH7760 as kingH4428 overH5921 yourselves; you mayH3201 not putH5414 a foreignerH5237 overH5921 yourselves whoH834 is not your 31countrymanH251. 1632MoreoverH7534, he shall not multiplyH7235 horsesH5483 for himself, norH3808 shall he 33cause the peopleH5971 to returnH7725 to EgyptH4714 to multiplyH7235 horsesH5483, since 34the LordH3068 has saidH559 to you, ‘You shall neverH3808 againH3254 returnH7725 that wayH1870.’ 1735He shall not multiplyH7235 wivesH802 for himself, 36orH3808 elseH3808 his heartH3824 will turnH5493 awayH5493; norH3808 shall he greatlyH3966 increaseH7235 silverH3701 and goldH2091 for himself.

18“Now it shall comeH1961 about when he sitsH3427 on the throneH3678 of his kingdomH4467, he shall writeH3789 for himself a copyH4932 of thisH2088 lawH8451 on a scrollH5612 3738in the presenceH6440 of the LeviticalH3881 priestsH3548. 19It shall be with him and he shall readH7121 it 39allH3605 the daysH3117 of his lifeH2425, that he may learnH3925 to fearH3372 the LordH3068 his GodH430, 40by carefullyH6213 observingH6213 allH3605 the wordsH1697 of thisH2088 lawH8451 and theseH428 statutesH2706, 20that his heartH3824 may not be liftedH7311 up aboveH4480 his 41countrymenH251 42and that he may not turnH5493 asideH5493 from the commandmentH4687, to the rightH3225 or the leftH8040, soH4616 that he and his sonsH1121 may continueH748 longH748H3117 in his kingdomH4467 in the midstH7130 of IsraelH3478.