1 ARST Do not sacrifice to Yahweh our God any cattle, sheep, or goat that has any defect. This is because Yahweh detests that kind of gift. BSB BSB: You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.
2 ARST When you are living in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, suppose that some man or woman in one of your towns sins by disobeying the agreement that Yahweh has made with you. BSB BSB: If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant
3 ARST Suppose that the person has worshiped other gods, the sun, the moon, or the stars. Remember that I commanded you not to do this. BSB BSB: and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
4 ARST Suppose that someone tells you of this idol worship, and you confirm that this detestable thing has happened in Israel. BSB BSB: and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,
5 ARST In that case, you must take the man or woman who has sinned outside of your town. Then you must kill that person by throwing stones at him or her. BSB BSB: you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.
6 ARST At least two people must confirm that they saw the person sin before you execute that person. If only one person says they saw the sin happen, you must not kill the person who is accused. BSB BSB: On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.
7 ARST The people who saw the sin happen should throw stones at the guilty person. Then all the other people from that town should throw stones until the guilty person dies. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil practice from your community. BSB BSB: The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
8 ARST Sometimes it will be very difficult for a judge to decide what really happened. It could be that he must decide whether someone killed another on purpose or accidentally. Or, it could be that he must decide if one person or another has the legal right in a case. Or, it could be that he must decide whether someone hurt another, or the property of another. If in any town it is very difficult to know what really happened, and the judge cannot decide it, you should go to the place where Yahweh our God will choose for you to worship him. BSB BSB: If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.
9 ARST There, you should explain the case to the descendants of Levi who are priests, and to the judge who is serving at that time. They should decide what should be done. BSB BSB: You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
10 ARST After they make their decision, you must do what they tell you to do. BSB BSB: You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you,
11 ARST Accept what they have decided, and do what they say that you should do. Do not try to change in any way what they have decided. BSB BSB: according to the terms of law they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.
12 ARST You must execute anyone who proudly disobeys the judge or the priest who stands there in the presence of Yahweh and decides what should be done. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil practice from all the Israelites. BSB BSB: But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
13 ARST Then after that person is executed, all the people will hear about it, and they will be afraid. None of them will proudly disobey anymore. BSB BSB: Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.
14 ARST After you occupy and live in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, you might want a king to rule over you, as the nearby peoples do. BSB BSB: When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
16 ARST After he becomes the king, he should not own a large number of horses. He should not send people to Egypt to buy horses for him. Remember that Yahweh told you that you would never return to Egypt again. BSB BSB: But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’
17 ARST And he must not marry a lot of wives. If he did that, they might cause him to stop worshipping Yahweh. And he must not obtain a lot of silver and gold. BSB BSB: He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
18 ARST When he becomes your king, he must{ appoint a scribe to} copy these laws. The scribe must copy them from the scroll that is kept by the priests descended from Levi. BSB BSB: When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
19 ARST He must keep this new scroll near him and read from it every day of his life This is so that he may learn to have an awesome respect for Yahweh. Also, this is so that he may faithfully obey all the rules and regulations that are written in these laws. BSB BSB: It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.
20 ARST If he does that, he will not think that he is more important than his fellow Israelites. And, he will completely obey Yahweh’ s commands. As a result, he and his descendants will rule as kings in Israel for many years. BSB BSB: Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.