Deuteronomy 21 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Atonement for Innocent Blood

1 “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,

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 slain ^H2491 one ^H2491. 3 And it shall be that the city ^H5892 which is nearest ^H7138 to the slain ^H2491 man ^H2491, that is, the elders ^H2205 of that city ^H5892, shall take ^H3947 a heifer ^H5697 of the herd ^H1241, which ^H834 has not been worked ^H5647 and which ^H834 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 near ^H5066, for Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 has chosen ^H977 them to minister ^H8334 for Him and to bless ^H1288 in the name ^H8034 of Yahweh ^H3068; and every ^H3605 dispute ^H7379 and every ^H3605 [fn]assault ^H5061 [fn]shall be settled ^H5921 H6310 by them. 6 And all ^H3605 the elders ^H2205 of that city ^H5892 [fn]who are nearest ^H7138 to the slain ^H2491 man ^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 answer ^H6030 and say ^H559, ‘Our hands ^H3027 did not shed ^H8210 this ^H2088 blood ^H1818, nor ^H3808 did our eyes ^H5869 see ^H7200 it. 8 Atone ^H3722 for Your people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478 whom ^H834 You have redeemed ^H6299, O Yahweh ^H3068, and do not place ^H5414 the guilt ^H1818 of ^H1818 innocent ^H5355 blood ^H1818 in the midst ^H7130 of Your people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478.’ And the bloodguiltiness ^H1818 shall be atoned ^H3722 for them. 9 So you shall purge ^H1197 the guilt ^H1818 of ^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 Yahweh ^H3068.

Statutes About Domestic Relations

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,

11 and see ^H7200 among the captives ^H7633 a beautiful ^H3303 woman ^H802 and set ^H2836 your affection ^H2836 on ^H2836 her and would take ^H3947 her as a wife ^H802 for yourself, 12 then you shall bring ^H935 her home ^H8432 to your house ^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 go ^H935 in ^H935 to her and be her husband ^H1166, and she shall be your wife ^H802. 14 And it will be ^H1961 that, if ^H518 you do not desire ^H2654 her, then you shall let ^H7971 her go ^H7971 [fn]wherever she wishes ^H5315; but you shall certainly ^H4376 not sell ^H4376 her for money ^H3701; you shall not [fn]mistreat ^H6014 her because ^H8478 H834 you have humbled ^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, if the firstborn ^H1060 son ^H1121 belongs to the [fn]unloved ^H8146, 16 then it shall be in the day ^H3117 he [fn]wills ^H5157 what ^H834 he has ^H1961 to his sons ^H1121, he cannot ^H3201 H3808 make ^H1069 the son ^H1121 of the loved ^H157 the firstborn ^H1069 before ^H5921 H6440 the son ^H1121 of the [fn]unloved ^H8130, who is the firstborn ^H1060. 17 But ^H3588 he shall recognize ^H5234 the firstborn ^H1060, the son ^H1121 of the [fn]unloved ^H8130, by giving ^H5414 him a double ^H8147 portion ^H6310 of all ^H3605 that [fn]he has ^H4672, for he is the first ^H7225 of his vigor ^H202; the legal judgment ^H4941 for the firstborn ^H1060 belongs to him.

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, 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 Then 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 will not listen ^H8085 to our voice ^H6963; he is a glutton ^H2151 and a drunkard ^H5433.’ 21 Then all ^H3605 the men ^H376 of his city ^H5892 shall stone ^H7275 him, and he will die ^H4191; so you shall purge ^H1197 the evil ^H7451 from your midst ^H7130, and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 will hear ^H8085 of it and fear ^H3372.

A Man Hanged on a Tree Is Cursed

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,

23 his corpse ^H5038 shall not hang ^H3885 all night ^H3885 on the tree ^H6086, but you shall surely ^H6912 bury ^H6912 him on the same ^H1931 day ^H3117 (because cursed ^H7045 of God ^H430 is he who is hanged ^H8518), so that you do not make unclean ^H2930 your land ^H127 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 gives ^H5414 you as an inheritance ^H5159.