1 I f one be found slain in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath smitten him;

If one is found slain in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who has killed him,

2 t hen thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:

Then your elders and judges shall come forth and measure the distance to the cities around him who is slain.

3 a nd it shall be, that the city which is nearest unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

And the city which is nearest to the slain man, the elders of that city shall take a heifer which has never been worked, never pulled in the yoke,

4 a nd the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley.

And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.

5 A nd the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.

And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word shall every controversy and every assault be settled.

6 A nd all the elders of that city, who are nearest unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

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

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

8 F orgive, O Jehovah, thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

Forgive, O Lord, Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not allow the shedding of innocent blood to be charged to Your people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be forgiven them.

9 S o shalt thou put away the innocent blood from the midst of thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

So shall you purge the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.

10 W hen thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou carriest them away captive,

When you go forth to battle against your enemies and the Lord your God has given them into your hands and you carry them away captive,

11 a nd seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife;

And you see among the captives a beautiful woman and desire her, that you may have her as your wife,

12 t hen thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

Then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and pare her nails

13 a nd she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thy 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 put off her prisoner’s garb, and shall remain in your house and bewail her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife.

14 A nd 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 deal with her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her.

And if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go absolutely free. You shall not sell her at all for money; you shall not deal with her as a slave or a servant, because you have humbled her.

15 I f a man have two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated;

If a man has two wives, one loved and the other disliked, and they both have borne him children, and if the firstborn son is the son of the one who is disliked,

16 t hen it shall be, in the day that he causeth his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved the first-born before the son of the hated, who is the first-born:

Then on the day when he wills his possessions to his sons, he shall not put the firstborn of his loved wife in place of the firstborn of the disliked wife—her firstborn being older.

17 b ut he shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the first-born is his.

But he shall acknowledge the son of the disliked as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he was the first issue of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

18 I f a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, that will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and, though they chasten him, will not hearken unto them;

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or his mother and though they chasten him will not listen to them,

19 t hen 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;

Then his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives,

20 a nd 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 they shall say to the elders of his city, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard.

21 A nd all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall cleanse out the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

22 A nd if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree;

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

23 h is body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is accursed of God; that thou defile not thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God. Thus you shall not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.