17 If an ox or sheep has ·something wrong with it [^La blemish/defect, anything wrong with it; Lev. 22:17–25], do not offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God. He would ·hate [detest] that.

² A man or woman in one of the ·towns [^Lgates] the Lord gave you might be found doing something evil in the ·sight [^Leyes] of the Lord your God and ·breaking [transgressing] the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty]. ³ That person may have served other gods and bowed down to them or to the sun or moon or ·stars of the sky [any of the host of heaven], which I have commanded should not be done [4:19]. ⁴ If someone has told you about it, you must look into the matter carefully. If it is true that such a ·hateful [detestable; abhorrent; abominable] thing has happened in Israel, ⁵ take the man or woman who has done the evil thing to the city gates and ·throw stones at [stone] that person until he dies. ⁶ There must be two or three witnesses that it is true before the person is put to death; if there is only one witness, the person should not be put to death [Num. 35:30]. ⁷ The hands of the witnesses must be the first to ·throw stones at [stone] the person, and then everyone else will follow. You must get rid of the evil among you.

Courts of Law

⁸ Some cases that come before you, ·such as murder [between one kind of bloodshed and another; ^Cintentional or unintentional], ·quarreling [between one kind of right and another], or ·attack [^Lbetween one kind of assault and another; Ex. 21:18–21], may be too difficult to judge. Take these cases to the place the Lord your God will choose [12:4–7]. ⁹ Go to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who is ·on duty at that time [in office in those days]. ·Ask them about the case [Make inquiry], and they will decide. ¹⁰ You must follow the decision they give you at the place the Lord your God will choose. Be careful to do everything they ·tell [^Lteach] you. ¹¹ Follow the ·teachings [laws; instructions] they give you, and do whatever they decide, ·exactly as they tell you [^Lyou must not turn aside from the thing they tell you to the right or to the left]. ¹² The person who ·does not show respect for [presumes not to listen to] the judge or priest who is there serving the Lord your God must be put to death. You must ·get rid of [banish; purge] that evil from Israel. ¹³ Then everyone will hear about this and will be afraid, and they will not ·show disrespect [be presumptuous] anymore.

Choosing a King

¹⁴ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, taking it as your ·own [possession] and living in it, you will say, “·Let’s appoint [^LI will set] a king over ·us [^Lme] like the nations all around us [1 Sam. 8:5, 20].” ¹⁵ Be sure to ·appoint [set] over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be one of your own ·people [relatives; ^Lbrothers]. Do not ·appoint [set] as your king a foreigner who is not a ·fellow Israelite [relative; ^Lbrother]. ¹⁶ The king must not ·have too many [multiply] horses for himself [Is. 2:7–9], and he must not send people to Egypt to get more horses, because the Lord has told you, “Don’t return that way again.” ¹⁷ The king must not ·have many [multiply for himself] wives, or his heart will ·be led away [turn aside] from God [1 Kin. 11:1–13]. He must not have too much silver and gold.

¹⁸ When he ·becomes king [^Lsits on the throne of his kingdom], he should write a copy of ·the teachings [these laws/instructions] on a scroll for himself, a copy taken from the priests and Levites. ¹⁹ He should keep it with him all the time and read from it every day of his life. Then he will learn to ·respect [fear] the Lord his God, and he will obey all ·the teachings [these laws/instructions] and ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements]. ²⁰ He should not ·think he is better than his fellow Israelites [^Lexalt his heart above his relatives/brothers], and he must not ·stop obeying [turn aside from] the law ·in any way [^Lto the right or the left] so that he and his ·descendants [sons] may rule the kingdom for a long time [2 Sam. 7:16].