Deuteronomy 17

1Thou shalt not sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God an ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, or anything evil; for that is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

1You must not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has a defect or anything seriously wrong with it, because the LORD your God finds that disgusting.

2If there be found in the midst of thee, within any of thy gates which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that doeth that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah thy God, in transgressing his covenant,

2Suppose a man or woman is found among you, in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you, who does what is evil in the eyes of the LORD your God by breaking his covenant.

3and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded,

3Imagine they have gone to serve other gods and worshiped them, or worshiped the sun, the moon, or the stars in the sky—things I have strictly forbidden.

4and it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it; then shalt thou inquire diligently; and, behold, if it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel,

4When you hear about it, you must investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true and it is proven that such a disgusting thing has been done in Israel,

5then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, who hath done this evil thing, unto thy gates, even the man or the woman; and thou shalt stone them to death with stones.

5then you must bring the man or woman who has done this evil thing to the gates of your city and stone them to death.

6At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is to die be put to death; at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

6The person must be put to death based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be put to death based on the testimony of only one witness.

7The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.

7The witnesses must be the first to throw stones to execute the person, followed by all the other people. In this way, you will remove the evil 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 unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose;

8If a case comes to your local courts that is too difficult for you to judge—whether it involves bloodshed, legal disputes, or physical assaults—take the matter to the place the LORD your God will choose.

9and thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days: and thou shalt inquire; and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment.

9Go to the Levitical priests and the judge who is in office at that time. Ask them for a decision, and they will give you a verdict.

10And thou shalt do according to the tenor of the sentence which they shall show thee from that place which Jehovah shall choose; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee:

10You must carry out the decision they give you at the place the LORD chooses. Be careful to do exactly what they instruct you to do.

11according to the tenor of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not turn aside from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.

11Act according to the legal instructions and the specific verdict they give you. Do not deviate from their decision to the right or to the left.

12And the man that doeth presumptuously, in not hearkening unto the priest that standeth to minister there before Jehovah thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

12Anyone who shows contempt for the judge or the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God must be put to death. You must purge this evil from Israel.

13And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

13Then all the people will hear about it and be afraid, and they will not act so arrogantly again.

14When thou art come unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me;

14When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, take possession of it, and settle there, you might say, 'I want to appoint a king over me like all the nations around me.'

15thou shalt surely set him king over thee, whom Jehovah thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother.

15Be sure to appoint only the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own Israeli brothers; do not put a foreigner over you who is not your fellow Israelite.

16Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; forasmuch as Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

16The king must not build up a large number of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt just to get more horses. The LORD has told you, 'You must never go back that way again.'

17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

17He must not take many wives for himself, or his heart will be led astray. He must also not accumulate huge amounts of 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:

18When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from the one kept by the Levitical priests.

19and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;

19He must keep it with him and read it every day of his life. This will help him learn to fear the LORD his God and carefully obey all the words of this law and these decrees.

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.

20This will prevent him from feeling superior to his fellow Israelites and from turning away from these commands to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign over his kingdom in Israel for a long time.