from Crossway1“You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God. (Le 22:20)2“If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, (De 13:6; Jos 7:11; Jos 7:15; Jos 23:16; Jud 2:20; 2Ki 18:12; Ho 6:7; Ho 8:1)3and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, (De 4:19; Jer 7:31; Jer 19:5; Jer 32:35)4and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, (De 13:14; De 19:18)5then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. (Le 24:14; Le 24:16; Jos 7:25)6On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. (Nu 35:30; Joh 8:17)7The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge[1] the evil[2] from your midst. (De 13:5; De 13:9; De 17:12; Ac 7:58)
Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges
8“If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose. (De 12:5)9And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision. (De 19:17; De 21:5; 2Ch 19:8; 2Ch 19:10; Ps 122:5; Jer 18:18; Eze 44:24; Hag 2:11; Mal 2:7)10Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place that the Lord will choose. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you.11According to the instructions that they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the verdict that they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left.12The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. (De 10:8; De 17:7; De 18:5; De 18:7; De 18:20; De 18:22; Ezr 10:8)13And all the people shall hear and fear and not act presumptuously again. (De 13:11)
Laws Concerning Israel’s Kings
14“When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ (1Sa 8:5; 1Sa 8:19)15you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. (1Sa 9:15; 1Sa 10:24; 1Sa 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; Jer 30:21)16Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ (Ex 13:17; Ex 14:13; Nu 14:3; De 28:68; 1Ki 4:26; 1Ki 10:26; 1Ki 10:28; 2Ch 1:16; 2Ch 9:28; Isa 2:7; Isa 31:1; Jer 42:15; Eze 17:15; Ho 11:5)17And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. (1Ki 11:3; Ne 13:26; Isa 2:7)18“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by[3] the Levitical priests. (De 31:9; De 31:26; 2Ki 11:12; 2Ki 22:8; 2Ch 34:14)19And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, (De 4:10; De 14:23; Jos 1:8)20that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. (De 4:40; De 5:32; 1Ki 15:5)
Deuteronomy 17
New International Version
from Biblica1Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him.2If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant,3and contrary to my command has worshipped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky,4and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,5take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.6On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no-one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.7The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.
Law courts
8If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge – whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults – take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.9Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Enquire of them and they will give you the verdict.10You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do.11Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.12Anyone who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the Lord your God is to be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.13All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.
The king
14When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, ‘Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,’15be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.16The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, ‘You are not to go back that way again.’17He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.18When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests.19It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees20and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
Deuteronomy 17
King James Version
1Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.2If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,3And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;4And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it , and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:5Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.6At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.7The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.8If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;9And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:10And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:11According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.12And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not 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.13And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.14When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;15Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.16But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:19And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:20That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
Deuteronomy 17
New International Reader’s Version
from Biblica1Suppose an ox or sheep has anything at all wrong with it. Then don’t sacrifice it to the LORD your God. He hates it.2Someone living among you might do what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God. It might happen in one of the towns the LORD is giving you. That person is breaking the LORD’s covenant.3The person might have worshipped or bowed down to other gods. That person might have bowed down to the sun or moon or stars in the sky. I have commanded you not to do these things.4When you hear that people have done something like that, check the matter out carefully. If it’s true, an evil thing has been done in Israel. The LORD hates that.5So take the person who has done that evil thing to your city gate. Put that person to death by throwing stones at them.6Two or three witnesses are required to put someone to death. No one can be put to death because of what only one witness says. Two or three witnesses are required.7The witnesses must throw the first stones. Then the rest of the people must also throw stones. Get rid of that evil person.
Law courts
8People will bring their cases to your courts. But some cases will be too hard for you to judge. They might be about murders, attacks or other crimes. Then take those hard cases to the place the LORD your God will choose.9Go to a priest, who is a Levite. And go to the judge who is in office at that time. Ask them for their decision. They will give it to you.10They’ll hand down their decisions at the place the LORD will choose. You must do what they decide. Be careful to do everything they tell you to do.11Act according to whatever they teach you. Accept the decisions they give you. Don’t turn away from what they tell you. Don’t turn to the right or the left.12Someone might show that they don’t respect the judge. Or they will show that they don’t respect the priest. The priest will serve the LORD your God at the place God will choose. If anyone doesn’t show respect for these people, that person must be put to death. Remove that evil person from Israel.13All the Israelites will hear about it. And they will be afraid to disrespect a judge or priest again.
Appoint the king the Lord chooses
14You will enter the land the LORD your God is giving you. You will take it as your own. You will make your homes in it. When you do, you will say, ‘Let’s appoint a king over us, just like all the nations around us.’15When that happens, make sure you appoint over yourselves a king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own people. Don’t appoint over yourselves someone from another country. Don’t choose anyone who isn’t from one of the tribes of Israel.16The king must not get large numbers of horses for himself. He must not make the people return to Egypt to get more horses. The LORD has told you, ‘You must not go back there again.’17The king must not have many wives. If he does, they will lead him astray. He must not store up large amounts of silver and gold.18When he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he must make for himself a copy of the law. He must write on a scroll the law that I am teaching you. He must copy it from the scroll of a priest, who is a Levite.19The king must keep the scroll close to him at all times. He must read it all the days of his life. Then he can learn to have respect for the LORD his God. He can carefully obey all the words of this law and these rules.20He won’t think of himself as being better than his people are. He won’t turn away from the law. He won’t turn to the right or the left. Then he and his sons after him will rule over his kingdom in Israel for a long time.