Deuteronomy 21 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Expiation of a Crime

1 “If ^H3588 a person who has been killed ^H2491 by someone is found ^H4672 lying ^H5307 in the open country ^H7704 in the land ^H127 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you to [fn]possess ^H3423, and it is not known ^H3045 who ^H4310 struck ^H5221 him,

2 then your elders ^H2205 and your judges ^H8199 shall go ^H3318 out ^H3318 and measure ^H4058 the distance to the cities ^H5892 which ^H834 are around ^H5439 the one ^H2491 who was killed ^H2491. 3 And it shall be that the city ^H5892 which is nearest ^H7138 to the person ^H2491 killed ^H2491, that is, that the elders ^H2205 of that city ^H5892 shall take ^H3947 a heifer ^H5697 of the herd ^H1241 that has not been worked ^H5647 [fn]and has not pulled ^H4900 in a yoke ^H5923; 4 and the elders ^H2205 of that city ^H5892 shall bring ^H3381 the heifer ^H5697 down ^H3381 to a valley ^H5158 with running ^H386 water ^H386, which ^H834 has not been plowed ^H5647 or sown ^H2232, and they shall break ^H6202 the heifer’s ^H5697 neck ^H6202 there ^H8033 in the valley ^H5158. 5 Then the priests ^H3548, the sons ^H1121 of Levi ^H3878, shall come ^H5066 forward ^H5066, because ^H3588 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 has chosen ^H977 them to serve ^H8334 Him and to bless ^H1288 in the name ^H8034 of the LORD ^H3068; and every ^H3605 dispute ^H7379 and [fn]violent ^H5061 crime ^H5061 shall be [fn]settled ^H5921 H6310 by them. 6 And all ^H3605 the elders ^H2205 of that city ^H5892 [fn]which is nearest ^H7138 to the person ^H2491 killed ^H2491 shall wash ^H7364 their hands ^H3027 over ^H5921 the heifer ^H5697 whose neck ^H6202 was ^H6202 broken ^H6202 in the valley ^H5158; 7 and they shall respond ^H6030 and say ^H559, ‘Our hands ^H3027 did not shed ^H8210 this ^H2088 blood ^H1818, nor ^H3808 did our eyes ^H5869 see ^H7200 who did. 8 [fn]Forgive ^H3722 Your people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478 whom ^H834 You have redeemed ^H6299, LORD ^H3068, and do not place ^H5414 the guilt ^H1818 for ^H1818 innocent ^H5355 blood ^H1818 in the midst ^H7130 of Your people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478.’ And the guilt ^H1818 for ^H1818 bloodshed ^H1818 shall be [fn]forgiven ^H3722 them. 9 So you shall remove ^H1197 the guilt ^H1818 for ^H1818 innocent ^H5355 blood ^H1818 from your midst ^H7130, when ^H3588 you do ^H6213 what ^H3477 is ^H3477 right ^H3477 in the eyes ^H5869 of the LORD ^H3068.

Domestic Relations

10 “When ^H3588 you go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to battle ^H4421 against ^H5921 your enemies ^H340, and the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 hands ^H3027 H5414 them over ^H5414 to you and you take ^H7617 them away captive ^H7628,

11 and you see ^H7200 among the captives ^H7633 a beautiful ^H3303 H8389 woman ^H802, and are ^H2836 strongly ^H2836 attracted ^H2836 to her and would take ^H3947 her as a wife ^H802 for yourself, 12 then you shall bring ^H935 her into your home ^H1004, and she shall shave ^H1548 her head ^H7218 and [fn]trim ^H6213 her nails ^H6856. 13 She shall also [fn]remove ^H5493 the clothes ^H8071 of her captivity ^H7628 and shall remain ^H3427 in your house ^H1004, and weep ^H1058 for her father ^H1 and mother ^H517 a full ^H3117 month ^H3391; and after ^H310 that you may have ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 her and become ^H1166 her husband ^H1166 and she shall be your wife ^H802. 14 But it shall be, if ^H518 you are not pleased ^H2654 with her, then you shall let ^H7971 her go ^H7971 [fn]wherever she wishes ^H5315; and you certainly ^H4376 shall not sell ^H4376 her for money ^H3701, you shall not treat ^H6014 her as ^H6014 merchandise ^H6014, since ^H8478 H834 you have [fn]humiliated ^H6031 her.

15 “If ^H3588 a man ^H376 has ^H1961 two ^H8147 wives ^H802, the one ^H259 loved ^H157 and the other ^H259 [fn]unloved ^H8130, and both the loved ^H157 and the [fn]unloved ^H8130 have borne ^H3205 him sons ^H1121, and the firstborn ^H1060 son ^H1121 belongs to the [fn]unloved ^H8146, 16 then it shall be on the day ^H3117 that he wills ^H5157 what ^H834 he owns ^H1961 as ^H5157 an ^H5157 inheritance ^H5157 to his sons ^H1121, he is not allowed ^H3201 to treat ^H1069 the son ^H1121 of the loved ^H157 wife as ^H1069 the ^H1069 firstborn ^H1069, [fn]at the expense ^H5921 H6440 of the son ^H1121 of the [fn]unloved ^H8130, who actually is the firstborn ^H1060 son. 17 On ^H3588 the ^H3588 contrary ^H3588, he shall acknowledge ^H5234 the firstborn ^H1060, the son ^H1121 of the [fn]unloved ^H8130 wife, by giving ^H5414 him a double ^H8147 [fn]portion ^H6310 of everything ^H3605 that [fn]he owns ^H4672, for he was the beginning ^H7225 of his [fn]strength ^H202; to him belongs the right ^H4941 of the firstborn ^H1060.

18 “If ^H3588 any ^H376 person ^H376 has ^H1961 a stubborn ^H5637 and rebellious ^H4784 son ^H1121 who does not obey ^H8085 H6963 his father ^H1 or his mother ^H517, and when they discipline ^H3256 him, he does not listen ^H8085 to them, 19 then his father ^H1 and mother ^H517 shall seize ^H8610 him, and bring ^H3318 him out ^H3318 to the elders ^H2205 of his city ^H5892 [fn]at the gateway ^H8179 of his hometown ^H4725. 20 And they shall say ^H559 to the elders ^H2205 of his city ^H5892, ‘This ^H2088 son ^H1121 of ours is stubborn ^H5637 and rebellious ^H4784; he does not obey ^H8085 H6963 us, he is thoughtless ^H2151 and given ^H5433 to ^H5433 drinking ^H5433.’ 21 Then all ^H3605 the men ^H376 of his city ^H5892 shall stone ^H7275 H68 him to death ^H4191; so you shall eliminate ^H1197 the evil ^H7451 from your midst ^H7130, and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 will hear ^H8085 about it and fear ^H3372.

22 “Now if ^H3588 [fn]a person ^H376 has committed ^H1961 a sin ^H2399 carrying a sentence ^H4941 of death ^H4194 and he is put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191, and you hang ^H8518 him on [fn]a tree ^H6086, 23 his body ^H5038 is not to be left ^H3885 overnight ^H3885 on the [fn]tree ^H6086, but you shall certainly ^H6912 bury ^H6912 him on the same ^H1931 day ^H3117 (for he who is hanged ^H8518 is cursed ^H7045 of God ^H430), so that you do not defile ^H2930 your land ^H127 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you as an inheritance ^H5159.