171 'Thou dost not sacrifice to Jehovah thy God ox or sheep in which there is a blemish—any evil thing; for it 'is' the abomination of Jehovah thy God. 2 'When there is found in thy midst, in one of thy cities which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, a man or a woman who doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah thy God by transgressing His covenant, 3 and he doth go and serve other gods, and doth bow himself to them, and to the sun, or to the moon, or to any of the host of the heavens, which I have not commanded— 4 and it hath been declared to thee, and thou hast heard, and hast searched diligently, and lo, truth; the thing is established; this abomination hath been done in Israel— 5 'Then thou hast brought out that man, or that woman, who hath done this evil thing, unto thy gates—the man or the woman—and thou hast stoned them with stones, and they have died. 6 By the mouth of two witnesses or of three witnesses is he who is dead put to death; he is not put to death by the mouth of one witness; 7 the hand of the witnesses is on him, in the first place, to put him to death, and the hand of all the people last; and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst.

8 'When anything is too hard for thee for judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke—matters of strife within thy gates—then thou hast risen, and gone up unto the place on which Jehovah thy God doth fix, 9 and hast come in unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge who is in those days, and hast inquired, and they have declared to thee the word of judgment, 10 and thou hast done according to the tenor of the word which they declare to thee ('they' of that place which Jehovah doth choose; and thou hast observed to do according to all that they direct thee. 11 'According to the tenor of the law which they direct thee, and according to the judgment which they say to thee thou dost do; thou dost not turn aside from the word which they declare to thee, right or left. 12 And the man who acteth with presumption, so as not to hearken unto the priest (who is standing to serve there Jehovah thy God), or unto the judge, even that man hath died, and thou hast put away the evil thing from Israel, 13 and all the people do hear and fear, and do not presume any more.

Instructions concerning a King

14 'When thou comest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and hast possessed it, and dwelt in it, and thou hast said, Let me set over me a king like all the nations which 'are' round about me,— 15 thou dost certainly set over thee a king on whom Jehovah doth fix; from the midst of thy brethren thou dost set over thee a king; thou art not able to set over thee a stranger, who is not thy brother. 16 'Only, he doth not multiply to himself horses, nor cause the people to turn back to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, seeing Jehovah hath said to you, Ye do not add to turn back in this way any more. 17 And he doth not multiply to himself wives, and his heart doth not turn aside, and silver and gold he doth not multiply to himself—exceedingly. 18 'And it hath been, when he sitteth on the throne of his kingdom, that he hath written for himself the copy of this law, on a book, from 'that' before the priests the Levites, 19 and it hath been with him, and he hath read in it all days of his life, so that he doth learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law, and these statutes, to do them; 20 so that his heart is not high above his brethren, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or left, so that he prolongeth days over his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel.

The Portions of the Levites

181 'There is not to the priests the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—a portion and inheritance with Israel; fire-offerings of Jehovah, even His inheritance, they eat, 2 and he hath no inheritance in the midst of his brethren; Jehovah Himself 'is' his inheritance, as He hath spoken to him. 3 'And this is the priest's right from the people, from those sacrificing a sacrifice, whether ox or sheep, he hath even given to the priest the leg, and the two cheeks, and the stomach; 4 the first of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy flock, thou dost give to him; 5 for on him hath Jehovah thy God fixed, out of all thy tribes, to stand to serve in the name of Jehovah, He and his sons continually. 6 'And when the Levite cometh from one of thy cities out of all Israel, where he hath sojourned, and hath come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah doth choose, 7 then he hath ministered in the name of Jehovah his God, like all his brethren, the Levites, who are standing there before Jehovah, 8 portion as portion they do eat, apart from his sold things, with the fathers.

Warning against Heathen Practices

9 'When thou art coming in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, thou dost not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations: 10 there is not found in thee one causing his son and his daughter to pass over into fire, a user of divinations, an observer of clouds, and an enchanter, and a sorcerer, 11 and a charmer, and one asking at a familiar spirit, and a wizard, and one seeking unto the dead. 12 'For the abomination of Jehovah 'is' every one doing these, and because of these abominations is Jehovah thy God dispossessing them from thy presence. 13 Perfect thou art with Jehovah thy God, 14 for these nations whom thou art possessing, unto observers of clouds, and unto diviners, do hearken; and thou—not so hath Jehovah thy God suffered thee.

God Promises a Prophet like Moses

15 'A prophet out of thy midst, out of thy brethren, like to me, doth Jehovah thy God raise up to thee—unto him ye hearken; 16 according to all that thou didst ask from Jehovah thy God, in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not add to hear the voice of Jehovah my God, and this great fire let me not see any more, and I die not; 17 and Jehovah saith unto me, They have done well that they have spoken; 18 a prophet I raise up to them, out of the midst of their brethren, like to thee; and I have given my words in his mouth, and he hath spoken unto them all that which I command him; 19 and it hath been—the man who doth not hearken unto My words which he doth speak in My name, I require 'it' of him. 20 'Only, the prophet who presumeth to speak a word in My name—that which I have not commanded him to speak—and who speaketh in the name of other gods—even that prophet hath died. 21 'And when thou sayest in thy heart, How do we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken?— 22 that which the prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, and the thing is not, and cometh not—it 'is' the word which Jehovah hath not spoken; in presumption hath the prophet spoken it;—thou art not afraid of him.

The Cities of Refuge

191 'When Jehovah thy God doth cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and thou hast succeeded them, and dwelt in their cities, and in their houses, 2 three cities thou dost separate for thee in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it. 3 Thou dost prepare for thee the way, and hast divided into three parts the border of thy land which Jehovah thy God doth cause thee to inherit, and it hath been for the fleeing thither of every man-slayer. 4 'And this 'is' the matter of the man-slayer who fleeth thither, and hath lived: He who smiteth his neighbour unknowingly, and is not hating him heretofore, 5 even he who cometh in with his neighbour into a forest to hew wood, and his hand hath driven with an axe to cut the tree, and the iron hath slipped from the wood, and hath met his neighbour, and he hath died—he doth flee unto one of these cities, and hath lived, 6 lest the redeemer of blood pursue after the man-slayer when his heart is hot, and hath overtaken him (because the way is great), and hath smitten him—the life, and he hath no sentence of death, for he is not hating him heretofore; 7 therefore I am commanding thee, saying, Three cities thou dost separate to thee. 8 'And if Jehovah thy God doth enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn to thy fathers, and hath given to thee all the land which He hath spoken to give to thy fathers— 9 when thou keepest all this command to do it, which I am commanding thee to-day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk in His ways all the days—then thou hast added to thee yet three cities to these three; 10 and innocent blood is not shed in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee—an inheritance, and there hath been upon thee blood. 11 'And when a man is hating his neighbour, and hath lain in wait for him, and risen against him, and smitten him—the life, and he hath died, and he hath fled unto one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city have sent and taken him from thence, and given him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, and he hath died; 13 thine eye hath no pity on him, and thou hast put away the innocent blood from Israel, and it is well with thee.

14 'Thou dost not remove a border of thy neighbour, which they of former times have made, in thine inheritance, which thou dost inherit in the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it.

The Law concerning Witnesses

15 'One witness doth not rise against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin which he sinneth; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, is a thing established. 16 'When a violent witness doth rise against a man, to testify against him apostacy, 17 then have both the men who have the strife stood before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who are in those days, 18 and the judges have searched diligently, and lo, the witness 'is' a false witness, a falsehood he hath testified against his brother: 19 'Then ye have done to him as he devised to do to his brother, and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst, 20 and those who are left do hear and fear, and add not to do any more according to this evil thing in thy midst; 21 and thine eye doth not pity—life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

The Laws concerning War

201 'When thou goest out to battle against thine enemy, and hast seen horse and chariot—a people more numerous than thou—thou art not afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God 'is' with thee, who is bringing thee up out of the land of Egypt; 2 and it hath been, in your drawing near unto the battle, that the priest hath come nigh, and spoken unto the people, 3 and said unto them, Hear, Israel, ye are drawing near to-day to battle against your enemies, let not your hearts be tender, fear not, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence, 4 for Jehovah your God 'is' He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies—to save you. 5 'And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who 'is' the man that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it?—let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it. 6 'And who 'is' the man that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not made it common?—let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common. 7 'And who 'is' the man that hath betrothed a woman, and hath not taken her?—let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her. 8 'And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who 'is' the man that is afraid and tender of heart?—let him go and turn back to his house, and the heart of his brethren doth not melt like his heart; 9 and it hath come to pass as the authorities finish to speak unto the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.

10 'When thou drawest near unto a city to fight against it, then thou hast called unto it for Peace, 11 and it hath been, if Peace it answer thee, and hath opened to thee, then it hath come to pass—all the people who are found in it are to thee for tributaries, and have served thee. 12 'And if it doth not make peace with thee, and hath made with thee war, then thou hast laid siege against it, 13 and Jehovah thy God hath given it into thy hand, and thou hast smitten every male of it by the mouth of the sword. 14 Only, the women, and the infants, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, thou dost seize for thyself, and thou hast eaten the spoil of thine enemies which Jehovah thy God hath given to thee. 15 So thou dost do to all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16 'Only, of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee 'for' an inheritance, thou dost not keep alive any breathing; 17 for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee, 18 so that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods, and ye have sinned against Jehovah your God. 19 'When thou layest siege unto a city many days, to fight against it, to capture it, thou dost not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for of them thou dost eat, and them thou dost not cut down—for man's 'is' the tree of the field—to go in at thy presence in the siege. 20 Only, the tree, which thou knowest that it 'is' not a fruit-tree, it thou dost destroy, and hast cut down, and hast built a bulwark against the city which is making with thee war till thou hast subdued it.