Deuteronomy 22:13-21

Common English Bible

Virgin bride

¹³ Suppose a man gets married and consummates the marriage but subsequently despises his wife. ¹⁴ He then spreads false claims about her to the point that she has a bad reputation, because he said such things as, “I married this woman, but when I went to have sex with her, I couldn’t find any proof that she was a virgin.”

¹⁵ At that point, the young woman’s father and mother will bring proof of her virginity to the city’s elders at the city gate. ¹⁶ The young woman’s father will say to the elders: “I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife, but he doesn’t like her anymore. ¹⁷ That’s why he has spread false claims about her, saying, ‘I couldn’t find any proof that your daughter was a virgin.’ But look! Here’s proof of my daughter’s virginity.” At that point they will spread out the blanket in front of the city’s elders. ¹⁸ The city’s elders must then take that husband and punish him. ¹⁹ They will fine him one hundred silver shekels, giving that to the young woman’s father, because that husband gave one of Israel’s virgin daughters a bad reputation. Moreover, she must remain his wife; he is never allowed to divorce her.

²⁰ However, if the claim is true and proof of the young woman’s virginity can’t be produced, ²¹ then the city’s elders will bring the young woman to the door of her father’s house. The citizens of that city must stone her until she dies because she acted so sinfully in Israel by having extramarital sex while still in her father’s house.

Remove^[a] such evil from your community!