CHAPTER 17
You shall not
sacrifice
to the LORD
your God
an ox
or a sheep
with any defect
or
serious
flaw,
for
that
is detestable
to the LORD
your God.
If
a man
or
woman
among you
in one
of the towns
that
the LORD
your God
gives
you
is found
doing
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
your God
by transgressing
His covenant
and going
to worship
other
gods,
bowing down
to them
or to the sun
or
moon
or
any
of the host
of heaven—
which
I have forbidden—
and if it is reported
and you hear about it,
you must investigate it
thoroughly.
If
the report
is
TRUE
and such
an abomination
has happened in Israel,
you must bring out
to
your gates
that
man
or
woman
who
has done
this
evil
thing,
and stone that person
to death.
On
the testimony
of two
or
three
witnesses
a man shall be put to death,
but he shall not
be executed
on
the testimony
of a lone
witness.
The hands
of the witnesses
shall be
the first
in putting him to death,
and after that,
the hands
of all
the people.
You must purge
the evil
from among you.
If
a case
is too difficult
for you
to judge,
whether
the controversy
within your gates
is regarding
bloodshed,
lawsuits,
or assaults,
you must go up
to
the place
the LORD
your God
will choose.
You are to go
to
the Levitical
priests
and to
the judge
who
presides at that
time.
Inquire of them,
and they will give
you a verdict
in the case.
You must abide by
the verdict
they give
you at
the place
the LORD
will choose.
Be careful
to do
everything
they instruct you,
according
to the terms
of law
they give
and the verdict
they proclaim.
Do not
turn aside
to the right
or to the left
from
the decision
they declare
to you.
But the man
who
acts
presumptuously,
refusing
to listen
either to
the priest
who stands
there
to serve
the LORD
your God,
or
to
the judge,
must be put to death.
You must purge
the evil
from Israel.
When
you enter
the land
the LORD
your God
is giving
you
and have taken possession of it
and settled it,
and you say,
“Let us set
a king
over us
like all
the nations
around us,”
you are to appoint
over yourselves
the king
the LORD
your God
shall choose.
Appoint
a king
from among
your brothers;
you are not
to set
a foreigner
over yourselves,
or one
who
is not
of your brothers.
But
the king must not
acquire many
horses
for himself
or send the people
back
to Egypt
to
acquire more
horses,
for the LORD
has told you,
‘You are never
to go back
that
way
again.’
He must not
take many
wives
for himself,
lest
his heart
go astray.
He must not
accumulate
for himself
great amounts
of silver
and gold.
When he is seated
on
his royal
throne,
he must write
for himself
a copy
of this
instruction
on
a scroll
in the presence
of the Levitical
priests.
It is to remain
with him,
and he is to read
from it
all
the days
of his life,
so that
he may learn
to fear
the LORD
his God
by carefully observing
all
the words
of this
instruction
and these
statutes.
Then his heart
will not
be exalted
above
his countrymen,
and he will not
turn aside
from the commandment,
to the right
or to the left,
in order that
he
and his sons
may reign
many years
over
his kingdom
in
Israel.