Deuteronomy 16:21-17:7

Modern English Version

Idolatry Forbidden

²¹ You must not plant for yourself an Asherah^[a] of any trees near the altar of the Lord your God, which you make for yourself. ²² You shall not set up for yourself any image, which the Lord your God hates.

17 You must not sacrifice to the Lord your God any bull or sheep that has a blemish or any defect, for that is detestable to the Lord your God.

² If there be found among you, within any of your gates which the Lord your God gives you, man or woman, who has acted wickedly in the sight of the Lord your God, by transgressing His covenant, ³ and has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, ⁴ and if it is told to you, and you have heard of it, and investigated diligently, and it is true, and the matter is certain that such a detestable thing has happened in Israel, ⁵ then you must bring forth that man or that woman who has committed that wicked thing to your gates, that very man or woman, and stone them with stones until they die. ⁶ On the testimony of two or three witnesses he that is to die must be put to death, but on the testimony of one witness he cannot be put to death. ⁷ The hands of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from among you.