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Deuteronomy 21

If someone is found killed in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, lying in the field, and nobody knows who struck him down — Then your elders and your judges will come out and measure to the cities round the one who's been killed. The city nearest to the dead man will have its elders take a heifer that has not been worked

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The unsolved killing

If someone is found killed in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, lying in the field, and nobody knows who struck him down — Then your elders and your judges will come out and measure to the cities round the one who's been killed. The city nearest to the dead man will have its elders take a heifer that has not been worked and has not drawn in the yoke. And the elders of that city will bring the heifer down to a rough valley that hasn't been ploughed or sown, and they'll break the heifer's neck there in the valley. And the priests, the sons of Levi, will come near — because the Lord your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every argument and every blow will be settled. All the elders of that city nearest to the dead man will wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. They'll answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, O Lord, to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of your people Israel.' Then the blood will be forgiven them. So you'll put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when you do what is right in the LORD's eyes.

If someone is found killed in the land the Lord your God is giving you to own, lying in the field, and nobody knows who struck him down — then your elders and your judges will come out and measure to the towns round the one who's been killed. And the town closest to the killed man — the elders of that town will take a heifer that hasn't been worked and hasn't pulled in a yoke. And the elders of that town will bring the heifer down to a rough valley that hasn't been ploughed or sown, and they'll break the heifer's neck there in the valley. And the priests, the sons of Levi, will come near — because the Lord your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every argument and every blow will be settled. And all the elders of that town closest to the killed man will wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. And they'll answer and say: Our hands haven't spilt this blood, and our eyes haven't seen it. Cover it over for your people Israel that you've bought back, Lord, and don't lay innocent blood on your people Israel. And the blood will be covered over for them. That's how you'll clear the guilt of innocent blood out from among you, when you do what's right in the eyes of the Lord.

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: Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: 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; 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: 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: 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: And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. 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. 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.

1

If someone is found killed in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, lying in the field, and nobody knows who struck him down —

Plain English

If someone is found killed in the land the Lord your God is giving you to own, lying in the field, and nobody knows who struck him down —

King James Version, 1611

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 your elders and your judges will come out and measure to the cities round the one who's been killed.

Plain English

then your elders and your judges will come out and measure to the towns round the one who's been killed.

King James Version, 1611

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

The city nearest to the dead man will have its elders take a heifer that has not been worked and has not drawn in the yoke.

Plain English

And the town closest to the killed man — the elders of that town will take a heifer that hasn't been worked and hasn't pulled in a yoke.

King James Version, 1611

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 will bring the heifer down to a rough valley that hasn't been ploughed or sown, and they'll break the heifer's neck there in the valley.

Plain English

And the elders of that town will bring the heifer down to a rough valley that hasn't been ploughed or sown, and they'll break the heifer's neck there in the valley.

King James Version, 1611

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, will come near — because the Lord your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every argument and every blow will be settled.

King James Version, 1611

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

All the elders of that city nearest to the dead man will wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.

Plain English

And all the elders of that town closest to the killed man will wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.

King James Version, 1611

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

They'll answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

Plain English

And they'll answer and say: Our hands haven't spilt this blood, and our eyes haven't seen it.

King James Version, 1611

And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

8

Be merciful, O Lord, to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of your people Israel.' Then the blood will be forgiven them.

Plain English

Cover it over for your people Israel that you've bought back, Lord, and don't lay innocent blood on your people Israel. And the blood will be covered over for them.

King James Version, 1611

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 you'll put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when you do what is right in the LORD's eyes.

Plain English

That's how you'll clear the guilt of innocent blood out from among you, when you do what's right in the eyes of the Lord.

King James Version, 1611

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.

The captive woman and the firstborn

When you go out to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hand and you take them captive, You see a beautiful woman among the captives and want her and would take her for your wife — Then you'll bring her home to your house, and she'll shave her head and cut her nails. She'll take off the clothes she was captured in and stay in your house and mourn her father and her mother a full month. And after that you can sleep with her and be her husband, and she'll be your wife. If you have no delight in her, let her go wherever she wishes. You won't sell her for money or make merchandise of her, because you have humbled her. If a man has two wives, one loved and one not loved, and they've both had him sons, and the firstborn son is the one who isn't loved — Then on the day he makes his sons inherit what he has, he can't make the son of the loved one the firstborn ahead of the son of the one who isn't loved, who's really the firstborn. He'll acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of everything he has, because he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

When you go out to war against the ones against you, and the Lord your God has handed them over to you and you've taken them captive, and you see a beautiful woman among the captives and want her and would take her for your wife — then you'll bring her home to your house, and she'll shave her head and cut her nails. And she'll take off the clothes she was captured in and stay in your house and mourn her father and her mother a full month. And after that you can go in to her and be her husband, and she'll be your wife. And if you're not pleased with her, then you'll let her go where she wants. But you won't sell her for money at all or deal with her as a slave, because you've brought her low. If a man's got two wives, one loved and one not loved, and they've both had him sons, and the firstborn son is the one who isn't loved — then on the day he makes his sons inherit what he's got, he can't make the son of the loved one the firstborn ahead of the son of the one who isn't loved, who's really the firstborn. But he'll own the son of the one who isn't loved as the firstborn, by giving him a double share of everything he's got. Because he's the first of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

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, And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 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. 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. 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: 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: 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.

10

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

Plain English

When you go out to war against the ones against you, and the Lord your God has handed them over to you and you've taken them captive,

King James Version, 1611

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

You see a beautiful woman among the captives and want her and would take her for your wife —

Plain English

and you see a beautiful woman among the captives and want her and would take her for your wife —

King James Version, 1611

And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

12

Then you'll bring her home to your house, and she'll shave her head and cut her nails.

Plain English

then you'll bring her home to your house, and she'll shave her head and cut her nails.

King James Version, 1611

Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

13

She'll take off the clothes she was captured in and stay in your house and mourn her father and her mother a full month. And after that you can sleep with her and be her husband, and she'll be your wife.

Plain English

And she'll take off the clothes she was captured in and stay in your house and mourn her father and her mother a full month. And after that you can go in to her and be her husband, and she'll be your wife.

King James Version, 1611

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

If you have no delight in her, let her go wherever she wishes. You won't sell her for money or make merchandise of her, because you have humbled her.

Plain English

And if you're not pleased with her, then you'll let her go where she wants. But you won't sell her for money at all or deal with her as a slave, because you've brought her low.

King James Version, 1611

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 has two wives, one loved and one not loved, and they've both had him sons, and the firstborn son is the one who isn't loved —

Plain English

If a man's got two wives, one loved and one not loved, and they've both had him sons, and the firstborn son is the one who isn't loved —

King James Version, 1611

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 on the day he makes his sons inherit what he has, he can't make the son of the loved one the firstborn ahead of the son of the one who isn't loved, who's really the firstborn.

Plain English

then on the day he makes his sons inherit what he's got, he can't make the son of the loved one the firstborn ahead of the son of the one who isn't loved, who's really the firstborn.

King James Version, 1611

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

He'll acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of everything he has, because he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Plain English

But he'll own the son of the one who isn't loved as the firstborn, by giving him a double share of everything he's got. Because he's the first of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

King James Version, 1611

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.

The stubborn son

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, and when they have disciplined him he still will not listen to them, Then his father and his mother will take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place. they'll say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He won't obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' All the men of his city will stone him with stones until he dies. So you'll put the evil away from among you, and all Israel will hear and fear. If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body won't remain all night on the tree. Bury him that same day, because anyone who is hanged is cursed by God. Do not defile the land the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.

If a man's got a stubborn and rebellious son who won't listen to the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and they've set him straight and he still won't listen to them — then his father and his mother will take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town and to the gate of his place. And they'll say to the elders of his town: This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He won't listen to our voice. He's a glutton and a drunk. And all the men of his town will stone him with stones till he dies. That's how you'll clear the evil out from among you. And all Israel will hear it and be frightened. And if a man has done a sin that's owed death and he's put to death, and you hang him on a tree — his body won't stay overnight on the tree. You'll bury him for sure the same day. Because anyone hanged is cursed by God. And you won't make your land filthy that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

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: 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; 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. 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. 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: 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.

18

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, and when they have disciplined him he still will not listen to them,

Plain English

If a man's got a stubborn and rebellious son who won't listen to the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and they've set him straight and he still won't listen to them —

King James Version, 1611

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 his father and his mother will take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place.

Plain English

then his father and his mother will take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town and to the gate of his place.

King James Version, 1611

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

they'll say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He won't obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.'

Plain English

And they'll say to the elders of his town: This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He won't listen to our voice. He's a glutton and a drunk.

King James Version, 1611

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

All the men of his city will stone him with stones until he dies. So you'll put the evil away from among you, and all Israel will hear and fear.

Plain English

And all the men of his town will stone him with stones till he dies. That's how you'll clear the evil out from among you. And all Israel will hear it and be frightened.

King James Version, 1611

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

If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

Plain English

And if a man has done a sin that's owed death and he's put to death, and you hang him on a tree —

King James Version, 1611

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 won't remain all night on the tree. Bury him that same day, because anyone who is hanged is cursed by God. Do not defile the land the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.

Plain English

his body won't stay overnight on the tree. You'll bury him for sure the same day. Because anyone hanged is cursed by God. And you won't make your land filthy that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

King James Version, 1611

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.