Deuteronomy 21
21
Expiation of a Crime
1“If a person who has been killed by someone is found lying in the open country in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to #21:1 Lit possess itpossess, and it is not known who struck him, 2then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the one who was killed. 3And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the person killed, that is, that the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd that has not been worked #21:3 Lit which has notand has not pulled in a yoke; 4and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, because the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the Lord; and every dispute and #21:5 Lit blowviolent crime shall be #21:5 Lit according to their mouthsettled by them. 6And all the elders of that city #21:6 Lit who arewhich is nearest to the person killed shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; 7and they shall respond and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see who did. 8#21:8 Lit Cover over, atone forForgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, Lord, and do not place the guilt for innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the guilt for bloodshed shall be #21:8 Lit covered over, atoned forforgiven them. 9So you shall remove the guilt for innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Domestic Relations
10“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take them away captive, 11and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and are strongly attracted to her and would take her as a wife for yourself, 12then you shall bring her into your home, and she shall shave her head and #21:12 Lit dotrim her nails. 13She shall also #21:13 Lit remove from herremove the clothes of her captivity and shall remain in your house, and weep for her father and mother a full month; and after that you may have relations with her and become her husband and she shall be your wife. 14But it shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then you shall let her go #21:14 Lit according to her soulwherever she wishes; and you certainly shall not sell her for money, you shall not treat her as merchandise, since you have #21:14 I.e., by a forced marriagehumiliated her.
15“If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other #21:15 Or scorned; lit hatedunloved, and both the loved and the #21:15 Or scorned; lit hatedunloved have borne him sons, and the firstborn son belongs to the #21:15 Or scorned; lit hatedunloved, 16then it shall be on the day that he wills what he owns as an inheritance to his sons, he is not allowed to treat the son of the loved wife as the firstborn, #21:16 Lit against the face ofat the expense of the son of the #21:16 See note v 15unloved, who actually is the firstborn son. 17On the contrary, he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the #21:17 See note v 15unloved wife, by giving him a double #21:17 Lit mouthfulportion of everything that #21:17 Lit is found with himhe owns, for he was the beginning of his #21:17 I.e., power of procreationstrength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn.
18“If any person has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father or his mother, and when they discipline him, he does not listen to them, 19then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city #21:19 Lit and to the gate of his placeat the gateway of his hometown. 20And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us, he is thoughtless and given to drinking.’ 21Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall eliminate the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear about it and fear.
22“Now if #21:22 Lit a sin is in a person carryinga person has committed a sin carrying a sentence of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on #21:22 Lit wooda tree, 23his body is not to be left overnight on the #21:23 Lit woodtree, but you shall certainly bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is cursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
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Deuteronomy 21: NASB2020
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