1 If one be found slain in the land which the
LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be
not known who hath slain him:
2 Then
thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the
cities which are round
about him that is slain:
3 And
it shall be, that the
city which is next
unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which
hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;
4 And
the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which
is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the
valley:
5 And
the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath
chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their
word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
6 And
all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is
beheaded in the valley:
7 And
they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our
eyes seen it.
8 Be
merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not
innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be
forgiven them.
9 So
shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when
thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
10 When
thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath
delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And
seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that
thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 Then
thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and
pare her nails;
13 And
she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in
thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that
thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 And
it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither
she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make
merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
15 If
a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him
children, both the
beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was
hated:
16 Then
it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which
he hath, that he
may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the
firstborn:
17 But
he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double
portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the
right of the firstborn is his.
18 If
a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his
father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him,
will not hearken unto them:
19 Then
shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the
elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And
they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn
and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And
all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou
put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
22 And
if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death,
and thou hang him on a tree:
23 His
body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury
him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not
defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
