Deuteronomy 21

Expiation of a Crime

1“IfH3588 a slainH2491 person is foundH4672 lyingH5307 in the open countryH7704 in the landH127 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 you to 1possessH3423, and it is not knownH3045 whoH4310 has struckH5221 him, 2then your eldersH2205 and your judgesH8199 shall goH3318 out and measureH4058 the distance to the citiesH5892 whichH834 are aroundH5439 the slainH2491 oneH2491. 3It shall be that the cityH5892 which is nearestH7138 to the slainH2491 manH2491, that is, the eldersH2205 of that cityH5892, shall takeH3947 a heiferH5697 of the herdH1241, whichH834 has not been workedH5647 and whichH834 has not pulledH4900 in a yokeH5923; 4and the eldersH2205 of that cityH5892 shall bringH3381 the heiferH5697 downH3381 to a valleyH5158 with runningH386 waterH386, whichH834 has not been plowedH5647 or sownH2232, and shall breakH6202 the heifer’sH5697 neckH6202 thereH8033 in the valleyH5158. 5Then 2the priestsH3548, the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878, shall comeH5066 nearH5066, for the LordH3068 your GodH430 has chosenH977 them to serveH8334 Him and to blessH1288 in the nameH8034 of the LordH3068; and everyH3605 disputeH7379 and everyH3605 3assaultH5061 4shall be settledH5921H6310 by them. 6AllH3605 the eldersH2205 of that cityH5892 5which is nearestH7138 to the slainH2491 manH2491 shall 6washH7364 their handsH3027 overH5921 the heiferH5697 whose neckH6202 was brokenH6202 in the valleyH5158; 7and they shall answerH6030 and sayH559, ‘Our handsH3027 did not shedH8210 thisH2088 bloodH1818, norH3808 did our eyesH5869 seeH7200 it. 87ForgiveH3722 Your peopleH5971 IsraelH3478 whomH834 You have redeemedH6299, O LordH3068, and do not placeH5414 the guiltH1818 of 8innocentH5355 bloodH1818 in the midstH7130 of Your peopleH5971 IsraelH3478.’ And the bloodguiltinessH1818 shall be 9forgivenH3722 them. 910So you shall removeH1197 the guiltH1818 of innocentH5355 bloodH1818 from your midstH7130, whenH3588 you doH6213 whatH3477 is rightH3477 in the eyesH5869 of the LordH3068.

Domestic Relations

10“WhenH3588 you goH3318 out to battleH4421 againstH5921 your enemiesH340, and 11the LordH3068 your GodH430 deliversH5414 them into your handsH3027 and you takeH7617 them away captiveH7628, 11and seeH7200 among the captivesH7633 a beautifulH3303 womanH802, and haveH2836 a desireH2836 for her and would takeH3947 her as a wifeH802 for yourself, 12then you shall bringH935 her homeH8432 to your houseH1004, and she shall 12shaveH1548 her headH7218 and 13trimH6213 her nailsH6856. 13She shall also 14removeH5493 the clothesH8071 of her captivityH7628 and shall remainH3427 in your houseH1004, and 15mournH1058 her fatherH1 and motherH517 a fullH3117 monthH3391; and afterH310 that you may goH935 in to her and be her husbandH1166 and she shall be your wifeH802. 14It shall be, ifH518 you are not pleasedH2654 with her, then you shall letH7971 her goH7971 16wherever she wishesH5315; but you shall certainlyH4376 not sellH4376 her for moneyH3701, you shall not 17mistreatH6014 her, becauseH8478H834 you have 18humbledH6031 her.

15“IfH3588 a manH376 hasH1961 twoH8147 wivesH802, the oneH259 lovedH157 and 19the otherH259 20unlovedH8130, and both the lovedH157 and the 21unlovedH8130 have borneH3205 him sonsH1121, if the firstbornH1060 sonH1121 belongs to the 22unlovedH8146, 16then it shall be in the dayH3117 he 23willsH5157 whatH834 he hasH1961 to his sonsH1121, he cannotH3201H3808 makeH1069 the sonH1121 of the lovedH157 the firstbornH1069 beforeH5921H6440 the sonH1121 of the 24unlovedH8130, who is the firstbornH1060. 17But he shall acknowledgeH5234 the firstbornH1060, the sonH1121 of the 25unlovedH8130, by givingH5414 him a doubleH8147 portionH6310 of allH3605 that 26he hasH4672, for he is the 27beginningH7225 of his strengthH202; 28to him belongs the rightH4941 of the firstbornH1060.

18“IfH3588 anyH376 manH376 hasH1961 a stubbornH5637 and rebelliousH4784 sonH1121 who will 29not obeyH8085H6963 his fatherH1 or his motherH517, and when they chastiseH3256 him, he will not even listenH8085 to them, 19then his fatherH1 and motherH517 shall seizeH8610 him, and bringH3318 him out to the eldersH2205 of his cityH5892 30at the gatewayH8179 of his hometownH4725. 20They shall sayH559 to the eldersH2205 of his cityH5892, ‘ThisH2088 sonH1121 of ours is stubbornH5637 and rebelliousH4784, he will not obeyH8085H6963 us, he is a gluttonH2151 and a drunkardH5433.’ 2131Then allH3605 the menH376 of his cityH5892 shall stoneH7275 him to deathH4191; so 32you shall removeH1197 the evilH7451 from your midstH7130, and 33allH3605 IsraelH3478 will hearH8085 of it and fearH3372.

22“IfH3588 a manH376 has committedH1961 a sinH2399 34worthyH4941 of deathH4194 and he is putH4191 to deathH4191, and you hangH8518 him on a treeH6086, 2335his corpseH5038 shall not hangH3885 all nightH3885 on the treeH6086, but you shall surelyH6912 buryH6912 him on the sameH1931 dayH3117 (for 36he who is hangedH8518 is 37accursedH7045 of GodH430), so that you 38do not defileH2930 your landH127 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159.