21 (A)“You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a [a]wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God. 22 (B)You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the Lord your God hates.

Various Instructions

17 “You (C)shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep which has any [b]blemish or defect, for that is an [c]abomination to the Lord your God.

(D)“If there is found among you, within any of your [d]gates which the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the Lord your God, (E)in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either (F)the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, (G)which I have not commanded, (H)and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an [e]abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and (I)shall stone (J)to death that man or woman with stones. Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three (K)witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among (L)you.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 16:21 Or Asherah
  2. Deuteronomy 17:1 Lit. evil thing
  3. Deuteronomy 17:1 detestable thing
  4. Deuteronomy 17:2 towns
  5. Deuteronomy 17:4 detestable thing

Worshiping Other Gods

21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole(A) beside the altar you build to the Lord your God,(B) 22 and do not erect a sacred stone,(C) for these the Lord your God hates.

17 Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect(D) or flaw in it, for that would be detestable(E) to him.(F)

If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant,(G) and contrary to my command(H) has worshiped other gods,(I) bowing down to them or to the sun(J) or the moon or the stars in the sky,(K) and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true(L) and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,(M) take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.(N) On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.(O) The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death,(P) and then the hands of all the people.(Q) You must purge the evil(R) from among you.