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 isH7451 evilH7451 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068 your GodH430, by violatingH5674 His covenantH1285, 3and that person has goneH1980 and 5servedH5647 otherH312 godsH430 and worshipedH2331 them, 6or the sunH8121, the moonH3394, orH176 anyH3605 of the heavenlyH8064 7lightsH6635, 8whichH834 I have commandedH6680 not to do, 4and if it is reportedH5046 to you and you have heardH8085 about it, then you shall investigateH1875 thoroughlyH3190. And 9ifH2009 it is trueH571 and the reportH1697 is trustworthyH3559 that thisH2088 detestableH8441 thingH8441 has been doneH6213 in IsraelH3478, 5then you are to bringH3318 outH3318 to your gatesH8179 that manH376 orH176 womanH802 whoH834 has doneH6213 thisH2088 evilH7451 deedH1697, that is, the manH376 orH176 the womanH802, and 10you shall stoneH5619 them to 11deathH4191. 612On the 13testimonyH6310 of twoH8147 witnessesH5707 orH176 threeH7969 witnessesH5707, the 14condemnedH4191 shall be putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191; he shall not be putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191 on the 15testimonyH6310 of only oneH259 witnessH5707. 716The handsH3027 of the witnessesH5707 shall be firstH7223 against him to putH4191 him toH4191 deathH4191, and afterwardH314 the handsH3027 of allH3605 the peopleH5971. 17So you shall eliminateH1197 the evilH7451 from your midstH7130.

8“18IfH3588 a caseH1697 isH6381 tooH4480 difficultH6381 for you to decideH4941, betweenH996 19one kind of homicideH1818 or anotherH1818, betweenH996 20one kind of lawsuitH1779 or anotherH1779, and betweenH996 21one kind of assaultH5061 or anotherH5061, that are casesH1697 of disputeH7379 in your 22courtsH8179, then you shall ariseH6965 and goH5927 upH5927 to 23the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 choosesH977. 9So you shall comeH935 to 24the LeviticalH3881 priestsH3548 or the judgeH8199 whoH834 is in office in thoseH1992 daysH3117, and you shall inquireH1875 of them and they will declareH5046 to you the 25verdictH1697H4941. 10Then you shall actH6213 inH5921 accordanceH5921 withH5921 the 26termsH6310 of the verdictH1697 whichH834 they declareH5046 to you from that placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 choosesH977; and you shall beH8104 carefulH8104 to actH6213 in accordance with everythingH3605 that they instructH3384 you to do. 1127InH5921 accordanceH5921 withH5921 the 28termsH6310 of the lawH8451 about whichH834 they instructH3384 you, and inH5921 accordanceH5921 withH5921 the verdictH4941 whichH834 they tellH5046 you, you shall actH6213; you shall not turnH5493 asideH5493 from the wordH1697 whichH834 they declareH5046 to you, to the rightH3225 or the leftH8040. 12But the personH376 whoH834 actsH6213 29insolentlyH2087 by not listeningH8085 to the priestH3548 who standsH5975 thereH8033 to serveH8334 the LordH3068 your GodH430, norH176 to the judgeH8199, that personH376 shall dieH4191; so you shall eliminateH1197 the evilH7451 from IsraelH3478. 13Then allH3605 the peopleH5971 will hearH8085 and beH3372 afraidH3372, and will not actH2102 30insolentlyH2102 againH5750.

14“WhenH3588 you enterH935 the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you, and you 31takeH3423 possessionH3423 of it and liveH3427 in it, and you sayH559, ‘32I will appointH7760 a kingH4428 overH5921 me like allH3605 the nationsH1471 whoH834 are aroundH5439 me,’ 15you shall inH7760 factH7760 appointH7760 a kingH4428 overH5921 you whomH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 choosesH977. One 33from amongH7130 your countrymenH251 you shall appointH7760 as kingH4428 overH5921 yourselves; you mayH3201 not putH5414 a foreignerH5237 overH5921 yourselves, anyone whoH834 is not your countrymanH251. 1634InH7534 anyH7534 caseH7534, he is not to acquireH7235 manyH7235 horsesH5483 for himself, norH3808 shall he 35make the peopleH5971 returnH7725 to EgyptH4714 inH4616 orderH4616 toH4616 acquireH7235 manyH7235 horsesH5483, since 36the LordH3068 has saidH559 to you, ‘You shall neverH3808H5750 againH3254 returnH7725 that wayH1870.’ 17And 37he shall not acquireH7235 manyH7235 wivesH802 for himself, so that his heartH3824 does not turnH5493 awayH5493; norH3808 shall he greatlyH3966 increaseH7235 silverH3701 and goldH2091 for himself.

18“Now it shall comeH1961 aboutH1961, when he sitsH3427 on the throneH3678 of his kingdomH4467, that he shall writeH3789 for himself a copyH4932 of thisH2088 LawH8451 on a scrollH5612 3839in the presenceH6440 of the LeviticalH3881 priestsH3548. 19And it shall be with him, and he shall readH7121 it 40allH3605 the daysH3117 of his lifeH2425, soH4616 thatH4616 he will learnH3925 to fearH3372 the LordH3068 his GodH430, 41by carefullyH8104 followingH6213 allH3605 the wordsH1697 of thisH2088 LawH8451 and theseH428 statutesH2706, 20so that his heartH3824 will not beH7311 haughtyH7311 towardH4480 his countrymenH251, 42and that he will not turnH5493 awayH5493 from the commandmentH4687 to the rightH3225 or the leftH8040, soH4616 thatH4616 he and his sonsH1121 may 43liveH748 longH748H3117 in his kingdomH4467 in the midstH7130 of IsraelH3478.