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.
No sacrifiques al Señor tu Dios ganado o una oveja que tenga un defecto grave, porque eso es ofensivo para el Señor tu Dios.
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,
Puede que exista un informe de que uno de ustedes, ya sea hombre o mujer, que vive en un pueblo que el Señor su Dios le dio, ha sido encontrado pecando a los ojos del Señor su Dios al romper el pacto del Señor.
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,
Esta persona ha hecho esto yendo a adorar a otros dioses, inclinándose ante ellos – o ante el sol, la luna o cualquiera de las estrellas del cielo – lo cual yo les he ordenado que no hagan.
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:
Si escuchas tal informe, necesitas hacer una investigación completa. Si se descubre que el informe es cierto, y que se ha cometido un pecado tan terrible en Israel,
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.
deben hacer que el hombre o la mujer que ha cometido este terrible acto sea expulsado del pueblo y apedreado hasta la muerte.
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.
Esa persona debe ser ejecutada basándose en las pruebas aportadas por dos o tres testigos. Nadie será ejecutado sobre la base de la evidencia dada por un solo testigo.
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.
Los testigos deben actuar primero en la ejecución de la persona, y luego el resto de los presentes. Deben eliminar el mal de entre ustedes.
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.
Si hay un caso ante el tribunal de su ciudad que sea demasiado problemático para resolverlo ustedes mismos, ya sea que la discusión sea sobre asesinato u homicidio, una decisión legal contra otra, o diferentes grados de asalto, deben traer el asunto al lugar que el Señor su Dios elija.
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.
Acudan a los sacerdotes, a los levitas y al juez encargado. Preséntenles el caso y ellos anunciarán su decisión.
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,
Deben acatar la decisión que les den allí, en el lugar que el Señor elija. Asegúrense de hacer todo lo que les digan,
11 in accord with his law, and you shall follow their sentence. Neither shall you turn aside to the right or to the left.
conforme a las instrucciones legales que les den y según el veredicto que ellos dicten. No te desvíes de tal decisión.
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.
Todo aquel que trate con desprecio al sacerdote (que ministra ante el Señor su Dios) o al juez, debe ser ejecutado. Debes eliminar este mal de Israel.
13 And when the people hear about this, they shall be afraid, so that no one, from that time on, will swell with pride.
Entonces todos los demás se enterarán y tendrán miedo, y no actuarán con desprecio en el futuro.
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,’
Una vez que hayas entrado en la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da, la hayas tomado y te hayas establecido en ella, y decidas: “Tengamos un rey que nos gobierne como lo hacen todas las demás naciones que nos rodean”,
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.
puedes tener un rey pero sólo uno elegido por el Señor tu Dios. Debe ser un israelita. No debes tener un rey que sea extranjero, alguien que no sea israelita.
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.
Tu rey no debe tener grandes cantidades de caballos, ni enviar a sus hombres a Egipto para comprar más caballos, porque el Señor ha declarado: “No debes volver allí nunca más”.
17 He shall not have many wives, who might allure his mind, and he shall not have immense weights of silver and gold.
No debe tener muchas esposas, para que no lo alejen del camino del Señor. No debe tener grandes cantidades de plata y oro.
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.
Una vez que sea rey y se siente en su trono real, debe hacer una copia para sí mismo de estas instrucciones, escribiéndolas en un pergamino en presencia de los sacerdotes levitas.
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.
Debe guardarlas con él, y debe leerlas cada día durante toda su vida, para que aprenda a respetar al Señor su Dios, teniendo cuidado de seguir cada palabra de estas instrucciones y normas.
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.”
Entonces no pensará más en sí mismo que en sus compatriotas israelitas, y no se desviará de los mandamientos, para que él y sus hijos puedan tener un largo reinado sobre el reino de Israel.
