Deuteronomy 16:21-17:7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Forbidden Forms of Worship
21 “You shall not plant any tree as a sacred pole[a] beside the altar that you make for the Lord your God,(A) 22 nor shall you set up a stone pillar—things that the Lord your God hates.
17 “You must not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has a defect, anything seriously wrong, for that is abhorrent to the Lord your God.(B)
2 “If there is found among you, in one of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God and transgresses his covenant(C) 3 by going to serve other gods and worshiping them—whether the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden— 4 and if it is reported to you or you hear of it, and you make a thorough inquiry, and the charge is proved true that such an abhorrent thing has occurred in Israel,(D) 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or that woman who has committed this crime, and you shall stone the man or woman to death. 6 On the evidence of two or three witnesses the death sentence shall be executed; a person must not be put to death on the evidence of only one witness.(E) 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first raised against the person to execute the death penalty and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.(F)
Footnotes
- 16.21 Or Asherah
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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