Deuteronomio 21
1 Es posible que encuentres a un hombre asesinado, tirado en un campo en el país que el Señor tu Dios te da, y que nadie sepa quién lo mató.
If someone is found killed in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who has attacked him;
2 Tus ancianos y jueces deben venir y medir la distancia del cuerpo a los pueblos de alrededor.
then your elders and your judges must go out, and they must measure to the cities that are around him who has been killed.
3 Entonces los ancianos del pueblo que se encuentren más cerca del cuerpo tomarán una vaca que nunca haya sido sometida a un yugo o utilizada para el trabajo.
Then the elders of the town nearest to the dead man's body must take a heifer from the herd, one that has never been put to work, and that has not borne the yoke.
4 Llevarán la vaca a un valle que tenga un arroyo que lo atraviese y cuya tierra nunca haya sido arada o sembrada. Rómpele el cuello a la vaca allí, junto al arroyo.
Then they must lead the heifer down to a valley with running water, a valley that has been neither plowed nor sown, and there in the valley they must break the heifer's neck.
5 Los sacerdotes levitas deben estar allí también, porque el Señor tu Dios los ha elegido para servirle y para dar bendiciones en su nombre, y para decidir sobre las disputas legales y los casos de asalto.
The priests, descendants of Levi, must come forward, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to serve him and give blessing in the name of Yahweh and to decide every case of dispute and assault by their word.
6 Entonces todos los ancianos del pueblo más cercano al cuerpo deben lavarse las manos en el arroyo sobre la vaca muerta, diciendo,
All the elders of the city that is the nearest to the killed man must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
7 “No tuvimos nada que ver con este asesinato, y no vimos quién lo hizo.
and they must answer to the case and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
8 Señor, por favor perdona a tu pueblo Israel, a quien rescataste, y no lo hagas culpable de derramar sangre inocente. De esta manera la culpa por derramar sangre será perdonada”.
Forgive, Yahweh, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not put guilt for innocent bloodshed in the midst of your people Israel.' Then the bloodshed will be forgiven them.
9 Así es como deberán quitarse la culpa de derramar sangre inocente, ya que han hecho lo que es correcto a los ojos del Señor.
In this way you will put away the innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.
10 Cuando vayan a la guerra con sus enemigos y el Señor su Dios los entregue en derrota y los capturen,
When you go out to do battle against your enemies and Yahweh your God gives you victory and puts them under your control, and you take them away as captives,
11 es posible que vean que uno de ellos es una mujer hermosa que les gusta y con la que se quieren casar.
if you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have a desire for her and wish to take her for yourself as a wife,
12 Llévenla a casa y hagan que se afeite la cabeza, que se corte las uñas,
then you will bring her home to your house; she will shave her head and cut her nails.
13 y que se deshaga de la ropa que llevaba puesta cuando fue capturada. Después de que haya vivido en tu casa y haya terminado su mes de luto por su padre y su madre, puedes dormir con ella y casarte con ella, y será tu esposa.
Then she will take off the clothes she was wearing when she was taken captive and she will remain in your house and mourn for her father and her mother a full month. After that you may sleep with her and be her husband, and she will be your wife.
14 Sin embargo, si no eres feliz con ella, debes dejarla ir donde ella quiera. No se te permite venderla por dinero o tratarla como una esclava, porque la has avergonzado.
But if you take no delight in her, then you may let her go where she wishes. But you must not sell her at all for money, and you must not treat her like a slave, because you have humiliated her.
15 Si un hombre tiene dos esposas, una que ama y otra que no, y ambas tienen hijos a su cargo, pero el hijo primogénito es de la esposa que no ama,
If a man has two wives and one is loved and the other is hated, and they have both borne him children—both the beloved wife and the hated wife—if the firstborn son is of her that is hated,
16 cuando llegue el momento de que el hombre decida lo que cada hijo heredará de él, no debe preferir al hijo de la esposa que ama y tratarlo como primogénito en lugar del hijo de la esposa que no ama.
then on the day that the man causes his sons to inherit what he possesses, he may not make the son of the beloved wife the firstborn before the son of the hated wife, the son who is actually the firstborn.
17 Sino que debe reconocer al primogénito, el hijo de la esposa que no ama por medio de la costumbre habitual de darle una doble porción de todo lo que posee. El hijo primogénito es la primicia de la fuerza de su padre, y por lo tanto los derechos del primogénito son suyos.
Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he possesses; for that son is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.
18 Si alguien tiene un hijo obstinado y rebelde que no obedece a sus padres y no les obedece ni siquiera cuando está castigado,
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, even though they correct him, will not listen to them;
19 sus padres deben llevarlo a los ancianos del pueblo, al tribunal de su ciudad natal,
then his father and his mother must lay hold on him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his city.
20 y decirles: “Nuestro hijo es obstinado y rebelde, no nos obedece. ¡Es un borracho inútil!”
They must say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.'
21 Entonces todos los hombres de su pueblo lo apedrearán hasta la muerte. Deben eliminar el mal de entre ustedes, y todo israelita se enterará y tendrá miedo.
Then all the men of his city must stone him to death with stones; and you will remove the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and fear.
22 Si alguien comete un crimen castigado con la muerte, y la persona es ejecutada colgando de un árbol,
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
23 no dejes el cuerpo colgando allí de la noche a la mañana. Asegúrate de enterrar el cuerpo el mismo día, porque cualquiera que sea colgado está bajo la maldición de Dios. No profanen el país que el Señor su Dios les ha dado para que lo posean.
then his body must not remain all night on the tree. Instead, you must surely bury him the same day; for whoever is hanged is cursed by God. Obey this commandment so that you do not defile the land that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance.
