Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

² When there shall be found among you within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God shall give thee, man or woman that do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, and transgress his covenant,

³ So as to go and serve strange gods, and adore them, the sun and the moon. and all the host of heaven, which I have not commanded:

⁴ And this is told thee, and hearing it thou hast inquired diligently, and found it to be true, and that the abomination is committed in Israel:

⁵ Thou shalt bring forth the man or the woman, who have committed that most wicked thing, to the gates of thy city, and they shall be stoned.

⁶ By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he die that is to be slain. Let no man be put to death, when only one beareth witness against him.

⁷ The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to kill him, and afterwards the hands of the rest of the people: that thou mayst take away the evil out of the midst of thee.

⁸ If thou perceive that there be among you a hard and doubtful matter in judgment between blood and blood, cause and cause, leprosy and leprosy: and thou see that the words of the judges within thy gates do vary: arise, and go up to the place, which the Lord thy God shall choose.

⁹ And thou shalt come to the priests of the Levitical race, and to the judge, that shall be at that time: and thou shalt ask of them, and they shall shew thee the truth of the judgment.

¹⁰ And thou shalt do whatsoever they shall say, that preside in the place, which the Lord shall choose, and what they shall teach thee,

¹¹ According to his law; and thou shalt follow their sentence: neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand.

¹² But he that will be proud, and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest, who ministereth at that time to the Lord thy God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die, and thou shalt take away the evil from Israel:

¹³ And all the people hearing it shall fear, that no one afterwards swell with pride.

13 Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God.

² Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation.

³ For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou shalt have praise from the same.

⁴ For he is God's minister to thee, for good. But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is God's minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil.

⁵ Wherefore be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

⁶ For therefore also you pay tribute. For they are the ministers of God, serving unto this purpose.

⁷ Render therefore to all men their dues. Tribute, to whom tribute is due: custom, to whom custom: fear, to whom fear: honour, to whom honour.