Deuteronomy 21 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Atonement for Innocent Blood

“If^H3588 a slain^H2491 person is found^H4672 fallen^H5307 in the open country^H7704 in the land^H127 which^H834 Yahweh^H3068 your God^H430 gives^H5414 you to [fn]possess^H3423, and it is not known^H3045 who^H4310 has struck^H5221 him,

Deu 21:2

Deu 21:2then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one.

Deu 21:3

Deu 21:3“And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;

Deu 21:4

Deu 21:4and 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.

Deu 21:5

Deu 21:5“Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to minister for Him and to bless in the name of Yahweh; and every dispute and every [fn]assault [fn]shall be settled by them.

Deu 21:6

Deu 21:6“And all the elders of that city [fn]who are nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

Deu 21:7

Deu 21:7and they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.

Deu 21:8

Deu 21:8‘Atone for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Yahweh, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be atoned for them.

Deu 21:9

Deu 21:9“So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

Statutes About Domestic Relations

Deu 21:10

“If^H3588 you go^H3318 out^H3318 to battle^H4421 against^H5921 your enemies^H340, and Yahweh^H3068 your God^H430 gives^H5414 them over into your hands^H3027 and you take^H7617 them away^H7617 captive^H7617,

Deu 21:11

Deu 21:11and see among the captives a beautiful woman and set your affection on her and would take her as a wife for yourself,

Deu 21:12

Deu 21:12then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and [fn]trim her nails.

Deu 21:13

Deu 21:13“She shall also [fn]remove 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 go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

Deu 21:14

Deu 21:14“And it will be that, if you do not desire her, then you shall let her go [fn]wherever she wishes; but you shall certainly not sell her for money; you shall not [fn]mistreat her because you have humbled her.

Deu 21:15

“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, if the firstborn^H1060 son^H1121 belongs to the [fn]unloved^H8146,

Deu 21:16

Deu 21:16then it shall be in the day he [fn]wills what he has to his sons, he cannot make the son of the loved the firstborn before the son of the [fn]unloved, who is the firstborn.

Deu 21:17

Deu 21:17“But he shall recognize the firstborn, the son of the [fn]unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that [fn]he has, for he is the first of his vigor; the legal judgment for the firstborn belongs to him.

Deu 21:18

“If^H3588 any^H376 man^H376 has^H1961 a stubborn^H5637 and rebellious^H4784 son^H1121 who will not obey^H8085^H6963 his father^H1 or his mother^H517, and when they discipline^H3256 him, he will not even listen^H8085 to them,

Deu 21:19

Deu 21:19then his father and mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders of his city [fn]at the gateway of his hometown.

Deu 21:20

Deu 21:20“Then they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not listen to our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’

Deu 21:21

Deu 21:21“Then all the men of his city shall stone him, and he will die; so you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.

A Man Hanged on a Tree Is Cursed

Deu 21:22

“And if^H3588 a man^H376 has committed^H1961 a sin^H2399, the judgment^H4941 of which is death^H4194, and he is put^H4191 to^H4191 death^H4191, and you hang^H8518 him on a tree^H6086,

Deu 21:23

Deu 21:23his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (because cursed of God is he who is hanged), so that you do not make unclean your land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance.