Deuteronomy 21

1 If one be founde slaine in the lande, which the Lord thy God giueth thee to possesse it, lying in the field, and it is not knowe who hath slaine him,

If one is found slain, lying in a field in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,

2 Then thine Elders and thy Iudges shall come forth, and measure vnto the cities that are round about him that is slayne.

your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities.

3 Aud let ye Elders of that citie, which is next vnto the slaine man, take out of the droue an heifer that hath not bene put to labour, nor hath drawen in the yoke.

Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work,

4 And let the Elders of that citie bring the heifer vnto a stonie valley, which is neyther eared nor sowen, and strike off the heifers necke there in the valley.

bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream.

5 Also the Priests the sonnes of Leui (whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister, and to blesse in the name of the Lord) shall come forth, and by their word shall all strife and plague be tried.

And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.

6 And all the Elders of that citie that came neere to the slayne man, shall wash their hands ouer the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

Then all the elders of the city nearest the victim shall wash their hands by the stream over the heifer whose neck has been broken,

7 And shall testifie, and say, Our handes haue not shed this blood, neither haue our eies seene it.

and they shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.

8 O Lord, be mercifull vnto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay no innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel, and the blood shalbe forgiuen them.

Accept this atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for.

9 So shalt thou take away the cry of innocet blood from thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.

So you shall purge from among you the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

10 Whe thou shalt go to warre against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God shall deliuer them into thine hands, and thou shalt take the captiues,

When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand and you take them captive,

11 And shalt see among the captiues a beautifull woman, and hast a desire vnto her, and wouldest take her to thy wife,

if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife,

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shaue her head, and pare her nayles,

then you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails,

13 And she shall put off the garment that shee was taken in, and she shall remaine in thine house, and bewaile her father and her mother a moneth long: and after that shalt thou go in vnto her, and marry her, and she shalbe thy wife.

and put aside the clothing of her captivity. After she has lived in your house a full month and mourned her father and mother, you may have relations with her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

14 And if thou haue no fauour vnto her, then thou mayest let her go whither she will, but thou shalt not sell her for money, nor make marchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

And if you are not pleased with her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.

15 If a man haue two wiues, one loued and another hated, and they haue borne him children, both the loued and also the hated: if the first borne be the sonne of the hated,

If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son,

16 Then when the time commeth, that hee appointeth his sonnes to be heires of that which he hath, he may not make the sonne of the beloued first borne before the sonne of the hated, which is the first borne:

when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife.

17 But he shall acknowledge the sonne of the hated for the first borne, and giue him double portion of all that he hath: for hee is the first of his strength, and to him belongeth the right of the first borne.

Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

18 If any man haue a sonne that is stubburne and disobedient, which wil not hearken vnto the voice of his father, nor the voyce of his mother, and they haue chastened him, and he would not obey them,

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined,

19 Then shall his father and his mother take him, and bring him out vnto the Elders of his citie, and vnto the gate of the place where he dwelleth,

his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown,

20 And shall say vnto the Elders of his citie, This our sonne is stubburne and disobedient, and he wil not obey our admonition: he is a riotour, and a drunkard.

and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”

21 Then all the men of his citie shall stone him with stones vnto death: so thou shalt take away euill from among you, that all Israel may heare it, and feare.

Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.

22 If a man also haue committed a trespasse worthy of death, and is put to death, and thou hangest him on a tree,

If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree,

23 His body shall not remaine all night vpon the tree, but thou shalt bury him the same day: for the curse of God is on him that is hanged. Defile not therfore thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee to inherite.

you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.