Deuteronomy 19-21
Complete Jewish Bible
19 “When Adonai your God cuts off the nations whose land Adonai your God is giving you, and you take their place and settle in their cities and houses, 2 you are to set aside three cities for yourselves in your land that Adonai your God is giving you to possess. 3 Divide the territory of your land, which Adonai your God is having you inherit, into three parts; and prepare the roads, so that any killer can flee to these cities. 4 The killer who will live if he flees there is someone who has killed his fellow member of the community by mistake, who did not hate him in the past. 5 An example would be if a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood and takes a stroke with the axe to fell a tree, but the head of the axe flies off the handle, hits his neighbor and kills him. Then he is to flee to one of these cities and live there. 6 Otherwise the next-of-kin avenger, in the heat of his anger, may pursue the killer, overtake him because the distance [to the city of refuge] is long, and strike him dead — even though he didn’t deserve to die, inasmuch as he hadn’t hated him in the past. 7 This is why I am ordering you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
8 “If Adonai your God expands your territory, as he swore to your ancestors that he would, and gives you all the land he promised to give to your ancestors — 9 provided you keep and observe all these mitzvot I am giving you today, loving Adonai your God and always following his ways — then you are to add three more cities for yourselves, besides these three; 10 so that innocent blood will not be shed in the land Adonai your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus blood guilt be on you.
11 “However, if someone hates his fellow member of the community, lies in wait for him, attacks him, strikes him a death blow, and then flees into one of these cities; 12 then the leaders of his own town are to send and bring him back from there and hand him over to the next-of-kin avenger, to be put to death. 13 You are not to pity him. Rather, you must put an end to the shedding of innocent blood in Isra’el. Then things will go well with you.
(vi) 14 “You are not to move your neighbor’s boundary marker from the place where people put it long ago, in the inheritance soon to be yours in the land Adonai your God is giving you to possess.
15 “One witness alone will not be sufficient to convict a person of any offense or sin of any kind; the matter will be established only if there are two or three witnesses testifying against him.
16 “If a malicious witness comes forward and gives false testimony against someone, 17 then both the men involved in the controversy are to stand before Adonai, before the cohanim and the judges in office at the time. 18 The judges are to investigate carefully. If they find that the witness is lying and has given false testimony against his brother, 19 you are to do to him what he intended to do to his brother. In this way, you will put an end to such wickedness among you. 20 Those who remain will hear about it, be afraid and no longer commit such wickedness among you. 21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
20 “When you go out to fight your enemies and see horses, chariots and a force larger than yours, you are not to be afraid of them; because Adonai your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the cohen is to come forward and address the people. 3 He should tell them, ‘Listen, Isra’el! You are about to do battle against your enemies. Don’t be fainthearted or afraid; don’t be alarmed or frightened by them; 4 because Adonai your God is going with you to fight on your behalf against your enemies and give you victory.’
5 “Then the officials will speak to the soldiers. They are to say, ‘Is there a man here who has built a new house, but hasn’t dedicated it yet? He should go back home now; otherwise he may die fighting, and another man will dedicate it.
6 “‘Is there a man here who has planted a vineyard, but hasn’t yet made use of its fruit? He should go back home; otherwise he may die fighting, and another man will use it.
7 “‘Is there a man here who is engaged to a woman, but hasn’t married her yet? He should go back home; otherwise he may die fighting, and another man will marry her.’
8 “The officials will then add to what they have said to the soldiers: ‘Is there a man here who is afraid and fainthearted? He should go back home; otherwise his fear may demoralize his comrades as well.’ 9 When the officials have finished speaking with the soldiers, commanders are to be appointed to lead the army.
(vii) 10 “When you advance on a town to attack it, first offer it terms for peace. 11 If it accepts the terms for peace and opens its gates to you, then all the people there are to be put to forced labor and work for you. 12 However, if they refuse to make peace with you but prefer to make war against you, you are to put it under siege. 13 When Adonai your God hands it over to you, you are to put every male to the sword. 14 However, you are to take as booty for yourself the women, the little ones, the livestock, and everything in the city — all its spoil. Yes, you will feed on your enemies’ spoil, which Adonai your God has given you. 15 This is what you are to do to all the towns which are at a great distance from you, which are not the towns of these nations.
16 “As for the towns of these peoples, which Adonai your God is giving you as your inheritance, you are not to allow anything that breathes to live. 17 Rather you must destroy them completely — the Hitti, the Emori, the Kena‘ani, the P’rizi, the Hivi and the Y’vusi — as Adonai your God has ordered you; 18 so that they won’t teach you to follow their abominable practices, which they do for their gods, thus causing you to sin against Adonai your God.
19 “When, in making war against a town in order to capture it, you lay siege to it for a long time, you are not to destroy its trees, cutting them down with an axe. You can eat their fruit, so don’t cut them down. After all, are the trees in the field human beings, so that you have to besiege them too? 20 However, if you know that certain trees provide no food, you may destroy them and cut them down, in order to build siege-works against the town making war with you, until it falls.
21 “If, in the land Adonai your God is giving you to possess, a murder victim is found lying in the countryside; and the perpetrator of the murder is not known; 2 then your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance between it and the surrounding towns. 3 After it has been determined which town is the closest, the leaders of that town are to take a young female cow that has never been put to work or yoked for use as a draft animal. 4 The leaders of that town are to bring the heifer down to a vadi with a stream in it that never dries up, to a place that is neither plowed nor sown; and they are to break the cow’s neck there in the vadi. 5 Then the cohanim, who are L’vi’im, are to approach; for Adonai your God has chosen them to serve him and to pronounce blessings in the name of Adonai; they will decide the outcome of every dispute and matter involving violence. 6 All the leaders of the town nearest the murder victim are to wash their hands over the cow whose neck was broken in the vadi. (Maftir) 7 Then they are to speak up and say, ‘This blood was not shed by our hands, nor have we seen who did it. 8 Adonai, forgive your people Isra’el, whom you redeemed; do not allow innocent blood to be shed among your people Isra’el.’ And they will be forgiven this bloodshed. 9 Thus you will banish the shedding of innocent blood from among you, by doing what Adonai sees as right.
Haftarah Shof’tim: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 51:12–52:12 [Messianic adaptation: conclude the reading at 53:12]
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Shof’tim: Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:38–42; 18:15–20; Acts 3:13–26; 7:35–53; 1 Corinthians 5:9–13; 1 Timothy 5:17–22; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 10:28–31
Parashah 49: Ki Tetze (When you go out) 21:10 –25:19
10 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and Adonai your God hands them over to you, and you take prisoners, 11 and you see among the prisoners a woman who looks good to you, and you feel attracted to her and want her as your wife; 12 you are to bring her home to your house, where she will shave her head, cut her fingernails 13 and remove her prison clothing. She will stay there in your house, mourning her father and mother for a full month; after which you may go in to have sexual relations with her and be her husband, and she will be your wife. 14 In the event that you lose interest in her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes; but you may not sell her for money or treat her like a slave, because you humiliated her.
15 “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and unloved wives have borne him children, and if the firstborn son is the child of the unloved wife; 16 then, when it comes time for him to pass his inheritance on to his sons, he may not give the inheritance due the firstborn to the son of the loved wife in place of the son of the unloved one, who is in fact the firstborn. 17 No, he must acknowledge as firstborn the son of the unloved wife by giving him a double portion of everything he owns, for he is the firstfruits of his manhood, and the right of the firstborn is his.
18 “If a man has a stubborn, rebellious son who will not obey what his father or mother says, and even after they discipline him he still refuses to pay attention to them; 19 then his father and mother are to take hold of him and bring him out to the leaders of his town, at the gate of that place, 20 and say to the leaders of his town, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he doesn’t pay attention to us, lives wildly, gets drunk.’ 21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death; in this way you will put an end to such wickedness among you, and all Isra’el will hear about it and be afraid.
(ii) 22 “If someone has committed a capital crime and is put to death, then hung on a tree, 23 his body is not to remain all night on the tree, but you must bury him the same day, because a person who has been hanged has been cursed by God — so that you will not defile your land, which Adonai your God is giving you to inherit.
Devarim 19-21
Orthodox Jewish Bible
19 When Hashem Eloheicha hath cut off the Goyim, whose land Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee, and thou dispossess them, and dwellest in their towns, and in their batim (houses),
2 Thou shalt separate shalosh arim (three towns) for thee in the midst of thy land, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee to possess it.
3 Thou shalt prepare yourselves roads, and divide the territory of thy land, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee there.
4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee there, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbor without da’as, whom he hated not in time past;
5 As when an ish goeth into the wood with his neighbor to cut wood, his hand swings a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, the head slippeth from the handle, and strikes upon his neighbor, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those towns, and live;
6 Lest the Go’el HaDahm pursue the slayer, while his lev is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
7 Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate shalosh arim for thee.
8 And if Hashem Eloheicha enlarge thy territory, as He hath sworn unto Avoteicha, and give thee kol ha’aretz which He promised to give unto Avoteicha;
9 If thou shalt be shomer over all these mitzvot to do them, which I command thee today, to love Hashem Eloheicha, and to walk ever in His ways; then shalt thou add three towns more for thee, beside these three;
10 That dahm naki (innocent blood) be not shed in thy land, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah, and so dahmim be upon thee.
11 But if any ish hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and strike him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these towns;
12 Then the zekenim of his town shall send and have him taken from there, and deliver him into the yad of the Goel HaDahm, that he may die.
13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of dahm naki from Yisroel, that it may go well with thee.
14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine nachalah, which thou shalt inherit in the eretz that Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee to possess it.
15 Ed echad shall not rise up against an ish for any avon (iniquity), or for any chattat (sin), in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of shney edim, or at the mouth of shloshah edim, shall the matter be established.
16 If an ed chamas (malicious, false witness) rise up against any ish to testify against him that which is wrong;
17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Hashem, before the kohanim and the shofetim, which shall be in those days;
18 And the shofetim shall make diligent inquiry; and, hinei, if the witness be an ed sheker (false witness), and hath testified falsely against his brother;
19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put harah away from among you.
20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such rah among you.
21 And thine eye shall not pity; but nefesh shall go for nefesh, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, yad for yad, regel for regel.
20 When thou goest out to milchamah against thine enemies, and seest sus (horses), and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them; for Hashem Eloheicha is with thee, which brought thee up out of Eretz Mitzrayim.
2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the milchamah, that the kohen shall approach and speak unto the people,
3 And shall say unto them, Shema, Yisroel, ye approach today unto milchamah against your enemies; let not your hearts faint; fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
4 For Hashem Eloheicha is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5 And the shoterim shall speak unto the people, saying, What ish is there that hath built a bais chadash, and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish dedicate it.
6 And what ish is he that hath planted a kerem (vineyard), and hath not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return unto his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish eat of it.
7 And what ish is there that hath betrothed an isha, and hath not taken her? Let him go and return unto his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish take her.
8 And the shoterim shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What ish is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return unto his bais, lest his brethren’s lev faint as well as his lev.
9 And it shall be, when the shoterim have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall appoint sarei tzvaos to lead the people.
10 When thou comest nigh unto a town to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of shalom unto it.
11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of shalom, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that kol haAm that is found therein shall be servants, placed under tribute unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
12 And if it will make no shalom with thee, but engages in milchamah against thee, then thou shalt besiege it;
13 And when Hashem Eloheicha hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt strike every male thereof with the edge of the cherev;
14 But the nashim, and the little ones, and the behemah, and all that is in the town, even all the plunder thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the plunder of thine enemies Hashem Eloheicha hath given thee.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the towns which are very far off from thee, which are not of the towns of these Goyim.
16 But of the towns of these people, which Hashem Eloheicha doth give thee for a nachalah, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;
17 But thou shalt utterly put them under cherem of destruction; namely, the Chitti, and the Emori, the Kena’ni, and the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi; as Hashem Eloheicha hath commanded thee;
18 That they teach you not to do after all their to’evot (abominations) which they have done unto their elohim; so that ye would sin against Hashem Eloheichem.
19 When thou shalt besiege a town yamim rabbim, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them; although thou mayest eat of them, thou shalt not cut them down. Are the etz hasadeh men that they should come under your siege?
20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build siege works against the town that maketh milchamah with thee, until it be subdued.
21 If one be found slain in ha’adamah which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee to possess it, lying in the sadeh, and it be not known who hath slain him;
2 Then thy zekenim and thy shofetim shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the towns which are round about him that is slain;
3 And it shall be, that the town which is next unto the slain man, even the zekenim of that town shall take a heifer, which hath not been worked with, and which hath not pulled the ol (yoke);
4 And the zekenim of that town shall bring down the heifer unto a wadi with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the wadi;
5 And the kohanim the Bnei Levi shall come near; for them Hashem Eloheicha hath chosen to minister unto Him, and to bless in the Shem of Hashem; and by their word shall every controversy and every assault be tried;
6 And all the zekenim of that town, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
7 And they shall answer and say, Yadeinu (our hands) are not guilty of shefach dahm (shedding blood), neither have our eyes seen it.
8 Kapper (atone), O Hashem, for Thy people Yisroel, whom Thou hast redeemed, and lay not dahm naki (innocent blood) unto the charge of Thy people Yisroel. And the shefach dahm shall be atoned for.
9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of dahm naki from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of Hashem.
[KI TETZE]
10 When thou goest forth to milchamah against thine enemies, and Hashem Eloheicha hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives an eshet yefat to’ar (a woman who is beautiful of form), and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to be thy wife;
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine bais, and she shall shave her rosh, and trim her nails;
13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine bais, and mourn her av and her em a full month; and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her ba’al, and she shall be thy isha.
14 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 kesef, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
15 If an ish have two nashim, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him banim, both the beloved and the hated; and if the bechor be hers that was hated;
16 Then it shall be, on the yom when he wills his possessions to his banim, that he may not make the ben of the beloved bechor before the ben of the hated, which is indeed the bechor;
17 But he shall acknowledge the ben of the hated for the bechor, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath; for he is the beginning of his strength; the mishpat habechorah (right of the firstborn) is his.
18 If an ish have a stubborn and rebellious ben, which will not obey the voice of his av, or the voice of his em, and that, when they have chastened him, will not give heed unto them;
19 Then shall his av and his em lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the zekenim of his town, and unto the sha’ar (gate) of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the zekenim of his town, This our ben is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a zolel (glutton) and a soveh (drunkard).
21 And all the men of his town shall stone him with avanim (stones), that he die; so shalt thou put harah away from among you; and all Yisroel shall hear and fear.
22 And if an ish have committed a chet (sin) mishpat mavet (worthy of death), and he is put to death, and thou hang him on an etz;
23 His nevelah shall not remain all night upon the etz, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; for he that is talui (hanged) is under Kilelat Elohim (curse of G-d); that thy adamah be not defiled, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah [see 2Sm 18:14; Yn 19:31; Ga 3:13].
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International