(A)If a case is too difficult for you to decide, between [a]one kind of homicide or another, between [b]one kind of lawsuit or another, and between [c]one kind of assault or another, that are cases of dispute in your [d]courts, then you shall arise and go up to (B)the place which the Lord your God chooses. So you shall come to (C)the Levitical priests or the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall inquire of them and they will declare to you the [e]verdict. 10 Then you shall act in accordance with the [f]terms of the verdict which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses; and you shall be careful to act in accordance with everything that they instruct you to do. 11 (D)In accordance with the [g]terms of the law about which they instruct you, and in accordance with the verdict which they tell you, you shall act; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left. 12 But the person who acts (E)insolently by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the Lord your God, nor to the judge, that person shall die; so you shall eliminate the evil from Israel. 13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act (F)insolently again.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 17:8 Lit blood to blood
  2. Deuteronomy 17:8 Lit lawsuit to lawsuit
  3. Deuteronomy 17:8 Lit blow to blow
  4. Deuteronomy 17:8 Lit gates
  5. Deuteronomy 17:9 Lit word of decision
  6. Deuteronomy 17:10 Lit mouth
  7. Deuteronomy 17:11 Lit mouth

Legal disputes

If some legal dispute in your cities is too difficult for you to decide—say, between different kinds of bloodshed, different kinds of legal ruling, or different kinds of injury—then take it to the location the Lord your God selects. Go to the levitical priests and to the head judge in office at that time and look into things there. They will announce to you the correct ruling. 10 You must then act according to the ruling they announced to you from that location, the one the Lord selects. You must follow very carefully everything they instruct you to do. 11 Act precisely according to the instruction they give you and the ruling they announce to you. Don’t deviate even a bit from the word they announce. 12 And whoever acts rashly by not listening to the priest who is in office serving the Lord your God or to the head judge will die. Remove[a] such evil from Israel! 13 All the people will hear about this and be afraid. They won’t act arrogantly anymore.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 17:12 Or burn