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14 “When you have come to that land that Yahweh your God is giving to you and you have taken possession of it and you have settled in it, and you say, ‘I will set over me a king like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 indeed, you may set a king over you whom Yahweh your God will choose, from the midst of your countrymen[a] you must set a king over you; you are not allowed to appoint over you a man, a foreigner, who is not your countryman.[b] 16 Except, he may not make numerous[c] for himself horses, and he may not allow the people to to go to Egypt in order to increase horses,[d] for Yahweh has said to you that you may never return.[e] 17 And he must not acquire many[f] wives for himself, so that his heart would turn aside; and he must not accumulate silver and gold for himself excessively.[g]

18 And then[h] when he is sitting[i] on the throne of his kingdom, then he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll before[j] the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it[k] all the days of his life, so that he may learn to revere Yahweh your God by diligently observing[l] all the word of this law and these rules, 20 so as not to exalt his heart above his countrymen[m] and not to turn aside from the commandment to the right or to the left, so that he may reign long over his kingdom,[n] he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 17:15 Or “brothers”
  2. Deuteronomy 17:15 Or “brother”
  3. Deuteronomy 17:16 Literally “not multiply”
  4. Deuteronomy 17:16 Literally “in order to make numerous horse”
  5. Deuteronomy 17:16 Literally “not you may do again to return”
  6. Deuteronomy 17:17 Or “make numerous”
  7. Deuteronomy 17:17 Literally “gold and silver not he must make numerous for him very”
  8. Deuteronomy 17:18 Literally “And it shall happen”
  9. Deuteronomy 17:18 Literally “as/when his sitting”
  10. Deuteronomy 17:18 Literally “to the face of”
  11. Deuteronomy 17:19 Hebrew “in it”
  12. Deuteronomy 17:19 Literally “by keeping ... to do them”
  13. Deuteronomy 17:20 Or “brothers”
  14. Deuteronomy 17:20 Literally “he may make long his days over his kingdom”

Principles Governing Kings

14 “When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, (A)‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you (B)whom the Lord your God chooses; one (C)from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply (D)horses for himself, nor cause the people (E)to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for (F)the Lord has said to you, (G)‘You shall not return that way again.’ 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and (H)gold for himself.

18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one (I)before the priests, the Levites. 19 And (J)it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not [a]be lifted above his brethren, that he (K)may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may [b]prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 17:20 become proud
  2. Deuteronomy 17:20 continue long in his kingdom