Detestable Sacrifices 1 UST 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.
Purge the Idolater 2 UST { When you are living in the land} in one of your towns that Yahweh our God is giving to you, suppose that you discover that some man or woman sins against Yahweh by disobeying the agreement that he 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 UST 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 UST 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 UST 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 UST 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 accused person. 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 UST 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 make sure no one from your community does this evil action of worshiping idols. 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.
Courts of Law 8 UST 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, then 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 UST 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 UST 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 UST Accept what they have decided, by doing 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 UST 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 make sure no one from all the Israelites does this evil action. 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 UST 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.
Guidelines for a King (1 Samuel 8:1–9)
14 UST 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 UST 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. 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 UST And he must not marry a lot of wives. If he did that, they might cause him to stop worshiping Yahweh. 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 UST When he becomes your king, he must copy these laws on a scroll. He must copy them from the scroll the priests descended from Levi keep. 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 UST 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 of his law. 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 UST 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.