Deuteronomy 21

Expiation of a Crime

1“IfH3588 a person who has been killedH2491 by someone is foundH4672 lyingH5307 in the open countryH7704 in the landH127 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you to 1possessH3423, and it is not knownH3045 whoH4310 struckH5221 him, 2then your eldersH2205 and your judgesH8199 shall goH3318 outH3318 and measureH4058 the distance to the citiesH5892 whichH834 are aroundH5439 the oneH2491 who was killedH2491. 3And it shall be that the cityH5892 which is nearestH7138 to the personH2491 killedH2491, that is, that the eldersH2205 of that cityH5892 shall takeH3947 a heiferH5697 of the herdH1241 that has not been workedH5647 2and 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 they shall breakH6202 the heifer’sH5697 neckH6202 thereH8033 in the valleyH5158. 5Then 3the priestsH3548, the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878, shall comeH5066 forwardH5066, becauseH3588 the LordH3068 your GodH430 has chosenH977 them to serveH8334 Him and to blessH1288 in the nameH8034 of the LordH3068; and everyH3605 disputeH7379 and 4violentH5061 crimeH5061 shall be 5settledH5921H6310 by them. 6And allH3605 the eldersH2205 of that cityH5892 6which is nearestH7138 to the personH2491 killedH2491 shall 7washH7364 their handsH3027 overH5921 the heiferH5697 whose neckH6202 wasH6202 brokenH6202 in the valleyH5158; 7and they shall respondH6030 and sayH559, ‘Our handsH3027 did not shedH8210 thisH2088 bloodH1818, norH3808 did our eyesH5869 seeH7200 who did. 88ForgiveH3722 Your peopleH5971 IsraelH3478 whomH834 You have redeemedH6299, LordH3068, and do not placeH5414 the guiltH1818 forH1818 9innocentH5355 bloodH1818 in the midstH7130 of Your peopleH5971 IsraelH3478.’ And the guiltH1818 forH1818 bloodshedH1818 shall be 10forgivenH3722 them. 911So you shall removeH1197 the guiltH1818 forH1818 innocentH5355 bloodH1818 from your midstH7130, whenH3588 you doH6213 whatH3477 isH3477 rightH3477 in the eyesH5869 of the LordH3068.

Domestic Relations

10“WhenH3588 you goH3318 outH3318 to battleH4421 againstH5921 your enemiesH340, and 12the LordH3068 your GodH430 handsH3027H5414 them overH5414 to you and you takeH7617 them away captiveH7628, 11and you seeH7200 among the captivesH7633 a beautifulH3303H8389 womanH802, and areH2836 stronglyH2836 attractedH2836 to her and would takeH3947 her as a wifeH802 for yourself, 12then you shall bringH935 her into your homeH1004, and she shall 13shaveH1548 her headH7218 and 14trimH6213 her nailsH6856. 13She shall also 15removeH5493 the clothesH8071 of her captivityH7628 and shall remainH3427 in your houseH1004, and 16weepH1058 for her fatherH1 and motherH517 a fullH3117 monthH3391; and afterH310 that you may haveH935 relationsH935 withH935 her and becomeH1166 her husbandH1166 and she shall be your wifeH802. 14But it shall be, ifH518 you are not pleasedH2654 with her, then you shall letH7971 her goH7971 17wherever she wishesH5315; and you certainlyH4376 shall not sellH4376 her for moneyH3701, you shall not treatH6014 her asH6014 merchandiseH6014, sinceH8478H834 you have 1819humiliatedH6031 her.

15“IfH3588 a manH376 hasH1961 twoH8147 wivesH802, the oneH259 lovedH157 and 20the otherH259 21unlovedH8130, and both the lovedH157 and the 22unlovedH8130 have borneH3205 him sonsH1121, and the firstbornH1060 sonH1121 belongs to the 23unlovedH8146, 16then it shall be on the dayH3117 that he willsH5157 whatH834 he ownsH1961 asH5157 anH5157 inheritanceH5157 to his sonsH1121, he is not allowedH3201 to treatH1069 the sonH1121 of the lovedH157 wife asH1069 theH1069 firstbornH1069, 24at the expenseH5921H6440 of the sonH1121 of the 25unlovedH8130, who actually is the firstbornH1060 son. 17OnH3588 theH3588 contraryH3588, he shall acknowledgeH5234 the firstbornH1060, the sonH1121 of the 26unlovedH8130 wife, by givingH5414 him a doubleH8147 27portionH6310 of everythingH3605 that 28he ownsH4672, for he was the 29beginningH7225 of his 30strengthH202; 31to him belongs the rightH4941 of the firstbornH1060.

18“IfH3588 anyH376 personH376 hasH1961 a stubbornH5637 and rebelliousH4784 sonH1121 who does 32not obeyH8085H6963 his fatherH1 or his motherH517, and when they disciplineH3256 him, he does not listenH8085 to them, 19then his fatherH1 and motherH517 shall seizeH8610 him, and bringH3318 him outH3318 to the eldersH2205 of his cityH5892 33at the gatewayH8179 of his hometownH4725. 20And they shall sayH559 to the eldersH2205 of his cityH5892, ‘ThisH2088 sonH1121 of ours is stubbornH5637 and rebelliousH4784; he does not obeyH8085H6963 us, he is thoughtlessH2151 and givenH5433 toH5433 drinkingH5433.’ 2134Then allH3605 the menH376 of his cityH5892 shall stoneH7275H68 him to deathH4191; so 35you shall eliminateH1197 the evilH7451 from your midstH7130, and 36allH3605 IsraelH3478 will hearH8085 about it and fearH3372.

22“Now ifH3588 37a personH376 has committedH1961 a sinH2399 carrying 38a sentenceH4941 of deathH4194 and he is putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191, and you hangH8518 him on 39a treeH6086, 2340his bodyH5038 is not to be leftH3885 overnightH3885 on the 41treeH6086, but you shall certainlyH6912 buryH6912 him on the sameH1931 dayH3117 (for 42he who is hangedH8518 is cursedH7045 of GodH430), so that you 43do not defileH2930 your landH127 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159.