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21 You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah of any kind of tree beside Yahweh your God’s altar, which you shall make for yourselves. 22 Neither shall you set yourself up a sacred stone which Yahweh your God hates.

17 You shall not sacrifice to Yahweh your God an ox or a sheep in which is a defect or anything evil; for that is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

If there is found among you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you, a man or woman who does that which is evil in Yahweh your God’s sight in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the stars of the sky, which I have not commanded, and you are told, and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in Israel, then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil thing to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death. At the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

21 (A)You shall not plant for yourself an [a]Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord your God, which you shall make for yourself. 22 And (B)you shall not set up for yourself a memorial stone, which the Lord your God hates.

Administration of Justice

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

(D)If there is found in your midst, in any of your [c]towns which the Lord your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, by violating His covenant, and that person has gone and (E)served other gods and worshiped them, (F)or the sun, the moon, or any of the heavenly [d]lights, (G)which I have commanded not to do, and if it is reported to you and you have heard about it, then you shall investigate thoroughly. And [e]if it is true and the report is trustworthy that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then you are to bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil deed, that is, the man or the woman, and (H)you shall stone them to [f]death. (I)On the [g]testimony of two witnesses or three witnesses, the [h]condemned shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the [i]testimony of only one witness. (J)The hands of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. (K)So you shall eliminate the evil from your midst.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 16:21 I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity
  2. Deuteronomy 17:1 Lit bad thing
  3. Deuteronomy 17:2 Lit gates
  4. Deuteronomy 17:3 Lit host
  5. Deuteronomy 17:4 Lit behold, true
  6. Deuteronomy 17:5 Lit death with stones
  7. Deuteronomy 17:6 Lit mouth
  8. Deuteronomy 17:6 Lit one dying
  9. Deuteronomy 17:6 Lit mouth