Deuteronomy 21:1-9
1599 Geneva Bible
21 2 Inquisition for murder. 11 Of the woman taken in war. 15 The birthright cannot be changed for affection. 18 The disobedient child. 23 The body may not hang all night.
1 If one be found [a]slain in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it is not known who hath slain him,
2 Then thine Elders and thy Judges shall come forth, and measure unto the cities that are round about him that is slain:
3 And let the Elders of that city, which is next unto the slain man, take out of the drove an heifer that hath not been put to labor, nor hath drawn in the yoke.
4 And let the Elders of that city bring the heifer unto a [b]stony [c]valley, which is neither eared, nor sown, and strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley.
5 Also the Priests the sons of Levi (whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister, and to bless in the Name of the Lord) shall come forth, and by their word shall all strife and plague be tried.
6 And all the Elders of that city that came near to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
7 And shall testify, and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
8 [d]O Lord, be merciful unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay no innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel, and the blood shall be forgiven them.
9 So shalt thou take away the cry of innocent blood from thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Deuteronomy 21:1 This law declareth how horrible a thing murder is, seeing that for one man whole country shall be punished, except remedy be found.
- Deuteronomy 21:4 Or, rough.
- Deuteronomy 21:4 That the blood shed of the innocent beasts in a solitary place, might make them abhor the fact.
- Deuteronomy 21:8 This was the prayer, which the Priests made in the audience of the people.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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