< Deuteronomy 17 >

1 Thou shalt offer vnto the Lord thy God no bullocke nor sheepe wherein is blemish or any euill fauoured thing: for that is an abomination vnto the Lord thy God.
Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Lord thy God any bullock, or lamb, whereon there is a blemish, any thing evil; for it is an abomination unto the Lord thy God.
2 If there be founde among you in any of thy cities, which the Lord thy God giueth thee, man or woman that hath wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his couenant,
If there be found in the midst of thee, within any one of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. a man or a woman, that doth the wickedness in the eyes of the Lord thy God, to transgress his covenant,
3 And hath gone and serued other gods, and worshipped them: as the sunne, or the moone, or any of the hoste of heauen, which I haue not commanded,
And he hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have prohibited;
4 And it be tolde vnto thee, and thou hast heard it, then shalt thou inquire diligently: and if it be true, and the thing certaine, that such abomination is wrought in Israel,
And it be told thee, and thou hearest of it: then shalt thou inquire diligently; and, behold, if it be true, the thing is certain, such abomination hath been wrought in Israel:
5 Then shalt thou bring foorth that man, or that woman (which haue committed that wicked thing) vnto thy gates, whether it be man or woman, and shalt stone them with stones, til they die.
Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, who have committed this wicked thing, unto thy gates, the man or the woman, and thou shalt stone them with stones till they die.
6 At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is woorthie of death, die: but at the mouth of one witnesse, he shall not die.
Upon the evidence of two witnesses, or of three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; he shall not be put to death upon the evidence of one witness.
7 The handes of the witnesses shall be first vpon him, to kill him: and afterward the hands of all the people: so thou shalt take the wicked away from among you.
The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and the hand of all the people at the last; and thou shalt put the evil away from the midst of thee.
8 If there rise a matter too harde for thee in iudgement betweene blood and blood, betweene plea and plea, betweene plague and plague, in the matters of controuersie within thy gates, then shalt thou arise, and goe vp vnto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse,
If a matter be unknown to thee for decision, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between bodily injury and injury, [or] matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which the Lord thy God will choose;
9 And thou shalt come vnto the Priestes of the Leuites, and vnto the iudge that shall be in those daies, and aske, and they shall shewe thee the sentence of iudgement,
And thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge that may be in those days, and thou shalt inquire, and they shall inform thee of the sentence of the case;
10 And thou shalt do according to that thing which they of that place (which the Lord hath chosen) shewe thee, and thou shalt obserue to doe according to all that they informe thee.
And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they may tell thee from that place which the Lord will choose, and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they may instruct thee;
11 According to the Lawe, which they shall teach thee, and according to the iudgement which they shall tell thee, shalt thou doe: thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee, neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
In accordance with the instruction which they may instruct thee, and according to the decision which they may say unto thee, shalt thou do: thou shalt not depart from the sentence which they may tell thee, to the right, or to the left.
12 And that man that wil doe presumptuously, not hearkening vnto the Priest (that standeth before the Lord thy God to minister there) or vnto the iudge, that man shall die, and thou shalt take away euill from Israel.
And the man that will act presumptuously, so as not to hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.
13 So all the people shall heare and feare, and doe no more presumptuously.
And all the people shall hear, and be afraid, and not act presumptuously any more.
14 Whe thou shalt come vnto ye land which the Lord thy God giueth thee, and shalt possesse it, and dwell therein, if thou say, I will set a King ouer me, like as all the nations that are about me,
When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou hast taken possession of it, and dwellest therein, and thou sayest, I wish to set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me:
15 Then thou shalt make him King ouer thee, whome the Lord thy God shall chuse: from among thy brethren shalt thou make a King ouer thee: thou shalt not set a stranger ouer thee, which is not thy brother.
Then mayest thou indeed set a king over thee, the one whom the Lord thy God will choose; [but] from the midst of thy brethren shalt thou set a king over thee; thou mayest not set over thee a stranger, who is not thy brother.
16 In any wise he shall not prepare him many horses, nor bring the people againe to Egypt, for to encrease the number of horses, seeing the Lord hath sayd vnto you, Ye shall henceforth goe no more againe that way.
Only he shall not acquire for himself many horses; so that he may not cause the people to return to Egypt, in order to acquire many horses; whereas the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth not return on that way any more.
17 Neither shall hee take him many wiues, lest his heart turne away, neither shall he gather him much siluer and golde.
Neither shall he take to himself many wives, that his heart may not turn away; nor shall he acquire for himself too much silver and gold.
18 And when he shall sit vpon the throne of his kingdo, then shall he write him this Law repeted in a booke, by the Priests of the Leuites.
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book out of [that which is] before the priests, the Levites;
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall reade therein all daies of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lord his God, and to keepe all ye words of this Lawe, and these ordinances for to doe them:
And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: in order that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them.
20 That his heart be not lifted vp aboue his brethren, and that he turne not from the commandement, to the right hand or to the left, but that he may prolong his daies in his kingdom, he, and his sonnes in the middes of Israel.
So that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and so that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right, or to the left: in order that he may live many days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

< Deuteronomy 17 >