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.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 16:21 Wooden symbol of a female deity.
Deuteronomy 16:21-17:7
Lexham English Bible
21 You shall not plant for yourselves[a] an Asherah pole[b] beside the altar of Yahweh your God that you make for yourselves.[c] 22 And you shall not set up for yourselves a stone pillar, a thing that Yahweh your God hates.
17 “You shall not sacrifice to Yahweh your God an ox or sheep that has a physical defect[d] of anything seriously wrong,[e] for that is a detestable thing to Yahweh your God. 2 If there is found in one of your towns[f] that Yahweh your God is giving to you a man or a woman that does evil in the eyes of Yahweh your God to transgress his covenant 3 and by going and serving other gods and so he bows down to them and to the sun or to the moon or to any of the host of heaven which I have forbidden,[g] 4 and it is reported to you or you hear about it and you enquire about it thoroughly and, indeed,[h] the trustworthiness of the deed[i] has been established, it has occurred,[j] this detestable thing, in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has[k] done this evil thing to your gates; that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them with stones to death.[l] 6 On the evidence of[m] two or three witnesses the person shall be put to death.[n] The person[o] shall not be put to death by the mouth of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against the person[p] to kill the person,[q] and afterward the hands[r] of all the people, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 16:21 Hebrew “for/to you” but with collective meaning
- Deuteronomy 16:21 Literally “an Asherah of any wood/tree”
- Deuteronomy 16:21 Hebrew “for/to you” but with collective meaning
- Deuteronomy 17:1 Literally “that is on it a physical defect”
- Deuteronomy 17:1 Literally “of any thing bad/evil”
- Deuteronomy 17:2 Literally “gates”
- Deuteronomy 17:3 Literally “which not I have commanded”
- Deuteronomy 17:4 Or “look!”
- Deuteronomy 17:4 Hebrew “the thing”
- Deuteronomy 17:4 Literally “has been done”
- Deuteronomy 17:5 Hebrew “have”
- Deuteronomy 17:5 Literally “and so they die”
- Deuteronomy 17:6 Literally “By the mouth of”
- Deuteronomy 17:6 Literally “he/she shall be put to death, the dead person”
- Deuteronomy 17:6 Hebrew “he/she”
- Deuteronomy 17:7 Hebrew “him”
- Deuteronomy 17:7 Hebrew “him”
- Deuteronomy 17:7 Hebrew “hand”
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