Deuteronomy 17

1 “You shall not immolate to the Lord your God a sheep or an ox, in which there is a blemish or any defect at all; for this is an abomination to the Lord your God.

「凡有殘疾，或有甚麼惡病的牛羊，你都不可獻給耶和華－你的上帝，因為這是耶和華－你上帝所憎惡的。

2 When there will have been found among you, within one of your gates which the Lord your God will give to you, a man or a woman who is doing evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and who is transgressing his covenant,

「在你們中間，在耶和華－你上帝所賜你的諸城中，無論哪座城裏，若有人，或男或女，行耶和華－你上帝眼中看為惡的事，違背了他的約，

3 so as to go and serve foreign gods and adore them, such as the sun and the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not instructed,

去事奉敬拜別神，或拜日頭，或拜月亮，或拜天象，是主不曾吩咐的；

4 and when this will have been reported to you, and, upon hearing it, if you have inquired diligently and have found it to be true, that the abomination is being done in Israel:

有人告訴你，你也聽見了，就要細細地探聽，果然是真，準有這可憎惡的事行在以色列中，

5 you shall lead forward the man or the woman who has perpetrated this most wicked thing to the gates of your city, and they shall be stoned to death.

你就要將行這惡事的男人或女人拉到城門外，用石頭將他打死。

6 By the mouth of two or three witnesses, he who is to be put to death shall perish. Let no one be killed with only one person speaking testimony against him.

要憑兩三個人的口作見證將那當死的人治死；不可憑一個人的口作見證將他治死。

7 First, the hands of the witnesses shall be upon him who will be put to death, and lastly, the hands of the remainder of the people shall be sent forth. So may you take away the evil from your midst.

見證人要先下手，然後眾民也下手將他治死。這樣，就把那惡從你們中間除掉。

8 If you have perceived that there is among you a difficult and doubtful matter of judgment, between blood and blood, cause and cause, leprosy and leprosy, and if you will have seen that the words of the judges within your gates vary: rise up and ascend to the place which the Lord your God will choose.

「你城中若起了爭訟的事，或因流血，或因爭競，或因毆打，是你難斷的案件，你就當起來，往耶和華－你上帝所選擇的地方

9 And you shall approach the priests of the Levitical stock, and the judge, who shall be among them at that time, and you shall inquire of them, and they will reveal to you the truth of the judgment.

去見祭司利未人，並當時的審判官，求問他們，他們必將判語指示你。

10 And you shall accept whatever they will say, those who preside in the place which the Lord will choose, and whatever they will teach you,

他們在耶和華所選擇的地方指示你的判語，你必照着他們所指教你的一切話謹守遵行。

11 in accord with his law, and you shall follow their sentence. Neither shall you turn aside to the right or to the left.

要按他們所指教你的律法，照他們所斷定的去行；他們所指示你的判語，你不可偏離左右。

12 But whoever will be arrogant, unwilling to obey the order of the priest who ministers at that time to the Lord your God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die. And so shall you take away the evil from Israel.

若有人擅敢不聽從那侍立在耶和華－你上帝面前的祭司，或不聽從審判官，那人就必治死；這樣，便將那惡從以色列中除掉。

13 And when the people hear about this, they shall be afraid, so that no one, from that time on, will swell with pride.

眾百姓都要聽見害怕，不再擅敢行事。」

14 When you will have entered into the land which the Lord your God will give to you, and you possess it, and you live in it, and you say, ‘I will appoint a king over me, just as all the surrounding nations have done,’

「到了耶和華－你上帝所賜你的地，得了那地居住的時候，若說：『我要立王治理我，像四圍的國一樣。』

15 you shall appoint him whom the Lord your God will choose from among the number of your brothers. You cannot make a man of another people king, one who is not your brother.

你總要立耶和華－你上帝所揀選的人為王。必從你弟兄中立一人；不可立你弟兄以外的人為王。

16 And when he will have been appointed king, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor lead the people back into Egypt, having been exalted by the number of his horsemen, especially since the Lord has instructed you never to return along the same way.

只是王不可為自己加添馬匹，也不可使百姓回埃及去，為要加添他的馬匹，因耶和華曾吩咐你們說：『不可再回那條路去。』

17 He shall not have many wives, who might allure his mind, and he shall not have immense weights of silver and gold.

他也不可為自己多立妃嬪，恐怕他的心偏邪；也不可為自己多積金銀。

18 Then, after he has been seated upon the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself the Deuteronomy of this law in a volume, using a copy from the priests of the Levitical tribe.

他登了國位，就要將祭司利未人面前的這律法書，為自己抄錄一本，

19 And he shall have it with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep his words and ceremonies, which are instructed in the law.

存在他那裏，要平生誦讀，好學習敬畏耶和華－他的上帝，謹守遵行這律法書上的一切言語和這些律例，

20 And so may his heart not become exalted with arrogance over his brothers, nor turn aside to the right or to the left, so that he and his sons may reign for a long time over Israel.”

免得他向弟兄心高氣傲，偏左偏右，離了這誡命。這樣，他和他的子孫便可在以色列中，在國位上年長日久。」