Deuteronomy 21
English Standard Version
Atonement for Unsolved Murders
21 “If in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, 2 then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. 3 And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer (A)that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke. 4 And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. 5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen (B)them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and (C)by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled. 6 And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man (D)shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall testify, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. 8 Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and (E)do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.’ 9 So (F)you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.
Marrying Female Captives
10 “When you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord your God gives them into your hand and you take them captive, 11 and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife, 12 and you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13 And she shall take off the clothes in which she was captured and shall remain in your house and (G)lament her father and her mother a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you no longer delight in her, you shall (H)let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you (I)treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.
Inheritance Rights of the Firstborn
15 “If a man has two wives, (J)the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,[a] 16 then on the day when (K)he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, 17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is (L)the firstfruits of his strength. (M)The right of the firstborn is his.
A Rebellious Son
18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 (N)Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. (O)So you shall purge the evil from your midst, (P)and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
A Man Hanged on a Tree Is Cursed
22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 (Q)his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for (R)a hanged man is cursed by God. (S)You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 21:15 Or hated; also verses 16, 17
Deuteronomy 21
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
Law concerning Murder by Persons Unknown
21 If, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess, a body is found lying in open country, and it is not known who struck the person down, 2 then your elders and your judges shall come out to measure the distances to the towns that are near the body. 3 The elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked, one that has not pulled in the yoke; 4 the elders of that town shall bring the heifer down to a wadi with running water, which is neither ploughed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the wadi. 5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord, and by their decision all cases of dispute and assault shall be settled. 6 All the elders of that town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi, 7 and they shall declare: ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor were we witnesses to it. 8 Absolve, O Lord, your people Israel, whom you redeemed; do not let the guilt of innocent blood remain in the midst of your people Israel.’ Then they will be absolved of blood-guilt. 9 So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, because you must do what is right in the sight of the Lord.
Female Captives
10 When you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take them captive, 11 suppose you see among the captives a beautiful woman whom you desire and want to marry, 12 and so you bring her home to your house: she shall shave her head, pare her nails, 13 discard her captive’s garb, and shall remain in your house for a full month, mourning for her father and mother; after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 14 But if you are not satisfied with her, you shall let her go free and not sell her for money. You must not treat her as a slave, since you have dishonoured her.
The Right of the Firstborn
15 If a man has two wives, one of them loved and the other disliked, and if both the loved and the disliked have borne him sons, the firstborn being the son of the one who is disliked, 16 then on the day when he wills his possessions to his sons, he is not permitted to treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the disliked, who is the firstborn. 17 He must acknowledge as firstborn the son of the one who is disliked, giving him a double portion[a] of all that he has; since he is the first issue of his virility, the right of the firstborn is his.
Rebellious Children
18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. 20 They shall say to the elders of his town, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. So you shall purge the evil from your midst; and all Israel will hear, and be afraid.
Miscellaneous Laws
22 When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you shall bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the Lord your God is giving you for possession.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 21:17 Heb two-thirds
Deuteronomy 21
King James Version
21 If one be found slain in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:
2 Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
3 And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;
4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley:
5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
6 And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
8 Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.
9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Deuteronomio 21
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Expiación en caso de asesinato
21 »Si en la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da para que la poseas, fuera encontrado alguien asesinado, tendido en el campo, y no se sabe quién lo mató[a], 2 entonces tus ancianos y tus jueces irán y medirán la distancia a las ciudades que están alrededor del muerto. 3 Y sucederá que los ancianos de la ciudad más próxima al lugar donde fue hallado el muerto, tomarán de la manada una novilla que no haya trabajado y que no haya llevado yugo; 4 y los ancianos de esa ciudad traerán la novilla a un valle de aguas perennes, el cual no haya sido arado ni sembrado, y quebrarán el cuello de la novilla allí en el valle.
5 »Entonces se acercarán los sacerdotes, hijos de Leví, porque el Señor tu Dios los ha escogido para que le sirvan y para bendecir en el nombre del Señor, y ellos decidirán[b] todo litigio y toda ofensa[c](A); 6 y todos los ancianos de la ciudad más cercana[d] al lugar donde fue hallado el muerto, lavarán sus manos(B) sobre la novilla cuyo cuello fue quebrado en el valle; 7 y responderán y dirán: “Nuestras manos no han derramado esta sangre, ni nuestros ojos han visto nada. 8 Perdona[e] a Tu pueblo Israel, al cual has redimido, oh Señor, y no culpes de sangre inocente a Tu pueblo Israel(C)”. Y la culpa de la sangre les será perdonada[f]. 9 Así limpiarás la culpa de sangre inocente de en medio de ti(D), cuando hagas lo que es recto a los ojos del Señor.
Otras leyes
10 »Cuando salgas a la guerra contra tus enemigos, y el Señor tu Dios los entregue en tus manos(E), y los tomes en cautiverio, 11 y veas entre los cautivos una mujer hermosa, y la desees, y la tomes para ti por mujer, 12 la traerás a tu casa, y ella se rasurará la cabeza(F) y se cortará[g] sus uñas. 13 También se quitará el vestido de su cautiverio, permanecerá en tu casa y llorará por su padre y por su madre por todo un mes(G); después de eso podrás llegarte a ella y ser su marido, y ella será tu mujer. 14 Pero si no te agrada, la dejarás ir adonde quiera[h]. No la venderás por dinero, ni la maltratarás[i], porque la has humillado(H).
15 »Si un hombre tiene dos mujeres, una amada y otra aborrecida, y tanto la amada como la aborrecida le han dado hijos, si el primogénito es de la aborrecida(I), 16 el día que reparta[j] lo que tiene entre sus hijos, no puede él hacer primogénito al hijo de la amada con preferencia al hijo de la aborrecida, que es el primogénito, 17 sino que reconocerá al primogénito, al hijo de la aborrecida, dándole una porción doble de todo lo que tiene[k], porque él es el principio de su vigor(J); a él le pertenece el derecho de primogenitura(K).
18 »Si un hombre tiene un hijo terco y rebelde que no obedece a su padre ni a su madre, y aunque lo castiguen, ni aun así les hace caso(L), 19 el padre y la madre lo tomarán y lo llevarán fuera a los ancianos de su ciudad, a la puerta de su ciudad natal[l]. 20 Y dirán a los ancianos de la ciudad: “Este hijo nuestro es terco y rebelde, no nos obedece, es glotón y borracho”. 21 Entonces todos los hombres de la ciudad lo apedrearán hasta que muera(M). Así quitarás el mal de en medio de ti(N), y todo Israel oirá esto y temerá(O).
22 »Si un hombre ha cometido pecado digno de muerte(P), y se le ha dado muerte, y lo has colgado de un árbol, 23 su cuerpo no quedará colgado del árbol toda la noche, sino que ciertamente lo enterrarás el mismo día(Q) (pues el colgado es maldito de Dios[m](R)), para que no contamines la tierra(S) que el Señor tu Dios te da en heredad.
Footnotes
- 21:1 Lit. hirió.
- 21:5 Lit. será de acuerdo con su boca.
- 21:5 Lit. todo golpe.
- 21:6 Lit. que están más cerca.
- 21:8 O Expía; lit. Cubre.
- 21:8 O expiada; lit. cubierta.
- 21:12 Lit. hará.
- 21:14 Lit. según su alma.
- 21:14 O esclavizarás.
- 21:16 Lit. haga heredar.
- 21:17 Lit. se encuentra consigo.
- 21:19 Lit. y a la puerta de su lugar.
- 21:23 Lit. la maldición de Dios.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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