1 ¶ When one is found dead in the land which the LORD thy God gives thee to inherit, lying in the field, and it is not known who has slain him,

If someone is found slain in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck 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 dead;

then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure to the cities which are around him who is slain.

3 a nd it shall be that the elders of the city which is next unto the dead man shall take a heifer, which has not served, and which has not drawn in the yoke;

It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer of the herd, which hasn’t been worked with, and which has not drawn in the yoke.

4 a nd the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which has neither been plowed nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley.

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 the LORD thy God has chosen them to minister unto him and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be determined.

The priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided.

6 A nd all the elders of that closest city next to the dead man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley.

All the elders of that city, who are 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.

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

8 R econcile thy people Israel, whom thou hast ransomed, O LORD, and impute not the innocent blood shed in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

Forgive, Yahweh, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and don’t allow innocent blood among your people Israel.” The blood shall be forgiven them.

9 S o 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.

So you shall put away the innocent blood from among you, when you shall do that which is right in Yahweh’s eyes.

10 ¶ When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God has delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive,

11 a nd seest among the captives a beautiful woman and hast a desire unto her that thou would have her to thy wife,

and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have a desire to her, and desire to take her as your wife;

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

then you shall bring her home to your house. She shall shave her head and trim her nails.

13 a nd she shall put off the clothing of her captivity 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.

She shall take the clothing of her captivity off of herself, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. After that you shall 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 free, but thou shalt not sell her at all for money; thou shalt not make merchandise of her because thou hast humbled her.

It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she desires; but you shall not sell her at all for money. You shall not deal with her as a slave, because you have humbled her.

15 ¶ When a man has two wives, one beloved and the other hated, and they have born him sons, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is of the one that was hated,

If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated;

16 t hen it shall be, when he makes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the right of the firstborn unto the son of the beloved in preference over the son of the hated, who is indeed the firstborn;

then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the son of the beloved the rights of the firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn;

17 b ut he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

18 ¶ When anyone has a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and when they have chastened 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 the voice of 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 his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place.

20 a nd they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not hear our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.

They shall tell 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 T hen all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, and he shall die; so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear and fear.

All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.

22 A nd when a man shall have committed a sin worthy of death, and he is to be put to death, and thou shall have hung him on a tree,

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 without fail bury him that same day (for he that is hanged is accursed of God) that thy land not be defiled, which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance.

his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God; that you don’t defile your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.