Deuteronomy 17
17
1An ox or sheep might have something wrong with it. Do not offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God. He would hate that.
2A man or woman might be found doing something evil in one of the towns the Lord gave you. That man or woman is breaking his agreement. 3That person may have served other gods. He may have bowed down to them, to the sun or moon or stars of the sky. I have commanded that should not be done. 4If someone has told you about it, you must look into the matter. It might be true. A terrible thing may have happened in Israel. 5If it is true, take the man or woman who has done the evil thing to the city gate. Throw stones at that person until he dies. 6There must be two or three witnesses that he did it. Then the person should be put to death. But if there is only one witness, the person should not be put to death. 7The witnesses must be the first to throw stones at the person. Then everyone else will follow. You must get rid of the evil among you.
Courts of Law
8Some cases that come before you may be too difficult to judge. It may be a case of murder, quarreling or attack. Take these cases to the place the Lord your God will choose. 9Go to the priests who are Levites. And go to the judge who is on duty at that time. Ask them about the case, and they will decide. 10You must follow the decision they give you. They will be at the place the Lord your God will choose. Be careful to do everything they tell you. 11Follow the teachings they give you. Do whatever they decide. Do exactly what they tell you. 12The person who does not show respect for the judge or priest must be put to death. They are there serving the Lord your God. You must get rid of that evil from Israel. 13Then everyone will hear about this. And they will be afraid. They will not show disrespect anymore.
Choosing a King
14You will enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. You will take it as your own and live in it. Then you will say, “Let’s appoint a king over us like the nations all around us.” 15Be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be one of your own people. Do not appoint a foreigner as your king. He is not a fellow Israelite. 16The king must not have too many horses for himself. He must not send people to Egypt to get more horses. The Lord has told you, “Don’t return that way again.” 17The king must not have many wives. If he does, his heart will be led away from God. He must not have too much silver and gold.
18When he becomes king, he should write a copy of the teachings on a scroll for himself. He should copy it from the priests and Levites. 19He should keep it with him all the time. He should read from it every day of his life. Then he will learn to respect the Lord his God. And he will obey all the teachings and commands. 20He should not think he is better than his brothers. He must not stop obeying the law in any way. Then he and his descendants will rule the kingdom for a long time.
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Deuteronomy 17: ICB
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Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 17
17
1“Do not slaughter to יהוה your Elohim a bull or sheep which has any blemish, any evil matter, for that is an abomination to יהוה your Elohim.
2“When there is found in your midst, in any of your cities which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim, in transgressing His covenant,
3and has gone and served other mighty ones and bowed down to them, or to the sun or to the moon or to any of the host of the heavens, which I have not commanded,
4and it has been made known to you and you have heard, and have searched diligently. Then see, if true: the matter is confirmed that such an abomination has been done in Yisra’ĕl,
5then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil matter, and you shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.
6“At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is to die be put to death. He is not put to death by the mouth of one witness.
7“The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and the hand of all the people last. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
8When any matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, or between stroke and stroke – matters of strife within your gates – then you shall rise and go up to the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses,”
9and shall come to the priests, the Lĕwites, and to the judge who is in those days, and shall inquire. And they shall declare to you the word of right-ruling,
10and you shall do according to the word which they declare to you from that place which יהוה chooses. And you shall guard to do according to all that they instruct you.
11“Do according to the Torah in which they teach you, according to the right-ruling which they say to you. You do not turn to the right or to the left from the word which they declare to you.
12“And the man who acts arrogantly, so as not to listen to the priest who stands to serve there before יהוה your Elohim, or to the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Yisra’ĕl.
13“And let all the people hear and fear, and no longer do arrogantly.
14When you come to the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, and shall possess it and shall dwell in it, and you shall say, ‘Let me set a sovereign over me like all the nations that are around me,’ ”
15you shall certainly set a sovereign over you whom יהוה your Elohim shall choose. Set a sovereign over you from among your brothers, you are not allowed to set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
16“Only, he is not to increase horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Mitsrayim to increase horses, for יהוה has said to you, ‘Do not return that way again.’
17“And he is not to increase wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor is he to greatly increase silver and gold for himself.
18“And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his reign, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah in a book, from the one before the priests, the Lĕwites.
19And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he learns to fear יהוה his Elohim and guard all the Words of this Torah and these laws, to do them,”
20so that his heart is not lifted up above his brothers, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or left, so that he prolongs his days in his reign, he and his children, in the midst of Yisra’ĕl.
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