1 ` When one is found slain on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it -- fallen in a field -- it is not known who hath smitten him,

¶ 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,

2 t hen have thine elders and thy judges gone out and measured unto the cities which round about the slain one,

then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is dead;

3 a nd it hath been, the city which near unto the slain one, even the elders of that city have taken a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, which hath not drawn in the yoke,

and 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;

4 a nd the elders of that city have brought down the heifer unto a hard valley, which is not tilled nor sown, and have beheaded there the heifer in the valley.

and 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.

5 ` And the priests, sons of Levi, have come nigh -- for on them hath Jehovah thy God fixed to serve Him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah, and by their mouth is every strife, and every stroke --

And 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.

6 a nd all the elders of that city, who are near unto the slain one, do wash their hands over the heifer which is beheaded in the valley,

And 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.

7 a nd they have answered and said, Our hands have not shed this blood, and our eyes have not seen --

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

8 r eceive atonement for Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast ransomed, O Jehovah, and suffer not innocent blood in the midst of Thy people Israel; and the blood hath been pardoned to them,

Reconcile 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.

9 a nd thou dost put away the innocent blood out of thy midst, for thou dost that which right in the eyes of Jehovah.

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.

10 ` When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God hath given them into thy hand, and thou hast taken captive its captivity,

¶ 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,

11 a nd hast seen in the captivity a woman of fair form, and hast delighted in her, and hast taken to thee for a wife,

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

12 t hen thou hast brought her in unto the midst of thy household, and she hath shaved her head, and prepared her nails,

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

13 a nd turned aside the raiment of her captivity from off her, and hath dwelt in thy house, and bewailed her father and her mother a month of days, and afterwards thou dost go in unto her and hast married her, and she hath been to thee for a wife:

and 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.

14 ` And it hath been -- if thou hast not delighted in her, that thou hast sent her away at her desire, and thou dost not at all sell her for money; thou dost not tyrannize over her, because that thou hast humbled her.

And 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.

15 ` When a man hath two wives, the one loved and the other hated, and they have borne to him sons (the loved one and the hated one), and the first-born son hath been to the hated one;

¶ 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,

16 t hen it hath been, in the day of his causing his sons to inherit that which he hath, he is not able to declare first-born the son of the loved one, in the face of the son of the hated one -- the first-born.

then 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;

17 B ut the first-born, son of the hated one, he doth acknowledge, to give to him a double portion of all that is found with him, for he the beginning of his strength; to him the right of the first-born.

but 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.

18 ` When a man hath a son apostatizing and rebellious -- he is not hearkening to the voice of his father, and to the voice of his mother, and they have chastised him, and he doth not hearken unto them --

¶ 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,

19 t hen laid hold on him have his father and his mother, and they have brought him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place,

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 a nd have said unto the elders of his city, Our son -- this one -- is apostatizing and rebellious; he is not hearkening to our voice -- a glutton and drunkard;

and 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.

21 a nd all the men of his city have stoned him with stones, and he hath died, and thou hast put away the evil out of thy midst, and all Israel do hear and fear.

Then 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.

22 ` And when there is in a man a sin -- a cause of death, and he hath been put to death, and thou hast hanged him on a tree,

And 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,

23 h is corpse doth not remain on the tree, for thou dost certainly bury him in that day -- for a thing lightly esteemed of God the hanged one -- and thou dost not defile thy ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- an inheritance.

his 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.