Deuteronomy 17
Modern English Version
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.
Courts of Law
8 If there arises a matter too difficult for you in judgment, between one kind of bloodshed and another, between one kind of lawsuit and another, and between one kind of assault and another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you must arise and go up to the place where the Lord your God shall choose. 9 You must go to the Levitical priests or to the judge in office those days, and inquire, and they will show you the verdict of judgment. 10 You shall do according to the verdict which they declare to you from the place where the Lord will choose to show you, and you must be careful to do all that they instruct you to do. 11 You must do according to the terms of the law which they instruct you and according to the verdict which they tell you. You must not deviate from the sentence which they show you, to the right or to the left. 12 The man who acts presumptuously and does not listen to the priest who stands to minister before the Lord your God, or to the judge—that man must die, and you must purge the evil from Israel. 13 Then all the people will hear, and fear, and not act presumptuously again.
Appointing a King
14 When you have come into the land which the Lord your God gives you and possess it and dwell there and then say, “I will set a king over me just like all the nations that are around me,” 15 you must set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. You must select a king over you who is from among your brothers. You may not select a foreigner over you who is not your countryman. 16 What is more, he shall not accumulate horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order that he accumulate horses, for as the Lord has said to you, “You must not go back that way ever again.” 17 He shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he acquire for himself excess silver and gold.
18 It must be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write a copy of this law for himself on a scroll before the priests, the Levites. 19 It must be with him, and he must read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and carefully observe all the words of this law and these statutes, and do them, 20 that his heart will not be lifted up above his brothers and so that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, to the end, so that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.
Deuteronomio 17
Reina Valera Contemporánea
17 »No ofrecerás al Señor tu Dios, en sacrificio, ningún buey o cordero que tenga algún defecto o alguna cosa mala, pues eso le repugna al Señor tu Dios.
2 »Cuando en alguna de las ciudades que el Señor tu Dios te da se halle algún hombre, o alguna mujer, que haya hecho lo malo a los ojos del Señor tu Dios y que haya faltado a su pacto 3 al ir y servir a dioses ajenos, y al inclinarse ante ellos,(A) ya sea ante el sol o la luna, o ante todo el ejército del cielo (lo cual yo he prohibido), 4 y te llegue la noticia, y después de enterarte lo averiguas bien, y resulta que esto es realmente cierto y que se ha cometido en Israel un hecho tan aberrante, 5 sacarás de la ciudad al hombre o a la mujer que haya cometido esta maldad, y los apedrearás, y así morirán.
6 »Quien sea condenado a muerte sólo podrá morir por el testimonio de dos o de tres testigos. Nadie podrá morir por el testimonio de un solo testigo.(B) 7 Los primeros en levantar la mano contra el condenado a muerte serán los testigos; después de ellos levantará la mano todo el pueblo. Así acabarás con el mal que haya en tu medio.
8 »Cuando en tus ciudades se te presente un caso difícil de juzgar, ya sea entre dos distintas clases de homicidio, o dos distintas clases de derecho legal, o dos distintas clases de heridas, o distintos negocios o litigios, te levantarás e irás al lugar que el Señor tu Dios haya escogido, 9 y recurrirás a los sacerdotes levitas y al juez que haya en aquellos días, y los consultarás y ellos te harán saber la justa sentencia. 10 Entonces actuarás según la sentencia que te indiquen los del lugar que el Señor haya escogido, y pondrás cuidado en hacer todo según lo que te manifiesten. 11 Procederás en conformidad con las normas que te hagan saber, y según la sentencia que dicten, sin desviarte ni a diestra ni a siniestra de la sentencia que te hagan saber. 12 Si alguien procede con soberbia, y no obedece al sacerdote que está allí para ministrar delante del Señor tu Dios, o al juez, será condenado a muerte. Así quitarás el mal de en medio de Israel. 13 Y todo el pueblo lo sabrá, y temerá, y no se envanecerá.
Instrucciones acerca del rey
14 »Cuando entres en la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da, y tomes posesión de ella y la habites, tal vez digas: “Quiero tener un rey, como lo tienen todas las naciones que me rodean.”(C) 15 Si es así, nombrarás como tu rey a quien el Señor tu Dios escoja. Pero no pondrás como rey tuyo a ningún extranjero, sino que pondrás como rey tuyo a uno de tus compatriotas. 16 Ese rey no deberá aumentar el número de sus caballos, ni hará que ustedes como pueblo vuelvan a Egipto sólo para adquirir más caballos,(D) porque el Señor les ha dicho que nunca más vuelvan por ese camino. 17 Para que su corazón no se desvíe, tampoco deberá tomar para sí muchas mujeres,(E) ni amontonará para sí oro y plata en abundancia.(F) 18 Una vez que haya ocupado el trono de su reino, escribirá en un libro una copia de esta ley para sí mismo, semejante al original que está al cuidado de los sacerdotes levitas, 19 y la tendrá a la mano, y la leerá todos los días de su vida, para que aprenda a temer al Señor su Dios, y para que cumpla todas las palabras de esta ley y de estos estatutos, y los ponga por obra. 20 Así su corazón no se colocará por encima de sus hermanos, ni se apartará ni a diestra ni a siniestra del mandamiento, a fin de que tanto él como sus hijos prolonguen los días de su reinado en medio de Israel.
Deuteronomy 17
New King James Version
Various Instructions
17 “You (A)shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep which has any [a]blemish or defect, for that is an [b]abomination to the Lord your God.
2 (B)“If there is found among you, within any of your [c]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, (C)in transgressing His covenant, 3 who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either (D)the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, (E)which I have not commanded, 4 (F)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 [d]abomination has been committed in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and (G)shall stone (H)to death that man or woman with stones. 6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three (I)witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 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 (J)you.
8 (K)“If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the (L)place which the Lord your God chooses. 9 And (M)you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and (N)to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; (O)they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment. 10 You shall do according to the sentence which they pronounce upon you in that place which the Lord chooses. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they order you. 11 According to the sentence of the law in which they instruct you, according to the judgment which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left from the sentence which they pronounce upon you. 12 Now (P)the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil from Israel. 13 (Q)And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously.
Principles Governing Kings
14 “When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, (R)‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you (S)whom the Lord your God chooses; one (T)from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply (U)horses for himself, nor cause the people (V)to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for (W)the Lord has said to you, (X)‘You shall not return that way again.’ 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and (Y)gold for himself.
18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one (Z)before the priests, the Levites. 19 And (AA)it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not [e]be lifted above his brethren, that he (AB)may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may [f]prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 17:1 Lit. evil thing
- Deuteronomy 17:1 detestable thing
- Deuteronomy 17:2 towns
- Deuteronomy 17:4 detestable thing
- Deuteronomy 17:20 become proud
- Deuteronomy 17:20 continue long in his kingdom
Deuteronomy 17
American Standard Version
17 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God an ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, or anything evil; for that is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.
2 If there be found in the midst of thee, within any of thy gates which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that doeth that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah thy God, in transgressing his covenant, 3 and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, 4 and it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it; then shalt thou inquire diligently; and, behold, if it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel, 5 then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, who hath done this evil thing, unto thy gates, even the man or the woman; and thou shalt stone them to death with stones. 6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is to die be put to death; at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.
8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose; 9 and thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days: and thou shalt inquire; and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment. 10 And thou shalt do according to the tenor of the sentence which they shall show thee from that place which Jehovah shall choose; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee: 11 according to the tenor of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not turn aside from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. 12 And the man that doeth presumptuously, in not hearkening unto the priest that standeth to minister there before Jehovah thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. 13 And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
14 When thou art come unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me; 15 thou shalt surely set him king over thee, whom Jehovah thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother. 16 Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; forasmuch as Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 19 and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them; 20 that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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