Deuteronomy 21

1 If one be found slain in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess, lying in the field, [and] it be not known who hath smitten him,

If one be found slain in the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess it, lying in the field, and it isn't known who has struck him;

2 then thine elders and thy judges shall go forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain;

then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are around him who is slain:

3 and the city that is nearest unto him that is slain, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer that hath not been wrought with, that hath not drawn in the yoke;

and it shall be, that the city which is nearest to the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hasn't been worked with, and which has not drawn in the yoke;

4 and the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto an ever-flowing watercourse, which is not tilled, nor is it sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the watercourse;

and the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley.

5 and the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to do service unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall be every controversy and every stroke.

The priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.

6 And all the elders of that city, that are nearest unto him that is slain, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck is broken in the watercourse,

All the elders of that city, who are nearest to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

7 and shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

and they shall answer and say, "Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

8 Forgive thy people Israel, whom thou, Jehovah, hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel; and the blood shall be expiated for them.

Forgive, LORD, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not allow innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel." The blood shall be forgiven them.

9 So shalt thou put away innocent blood from thy midst, when thou shalt do what is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

So you shall put away the innocent blood from the midst of you, when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD.

10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou hast taken captives of them,

When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive,

11 and thou seest among the captives a woman of beautiful form, and hast a desire unto her, and takest her as thy wife;

and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife;

12 then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

then you shall bring her home to your house; and she shall shave her head, and trim her nails;

13 and she shall put the clothes of her captivity from off her, and shall abide in thy house, and bewail her father and mother a full month, and afterwards thou mayest go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

and she shall remove the clothing she was wearing when captured, and shall remain in your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month. And after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go according to her desire; but thou shalt in no wise sell her for money; thou shalt not treat her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her.

It shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then you must let her go where she wants; but you may not sell her for money or treat her as a commodity, since you have had relations with her.

15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and one hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and the firstborn son be hers that was hated;

If a man has two wives, the one loved, and the other unloved, and they have borne him children, both the loved and the unloved; and if the firstborn son is hers who was unloved;

16 then it shall be, in the day that he maketh his sons to inherit what he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn;

then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the son of the loved the firstborn before the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn:

17 but he shall acknowledge as firstborn the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that is found with him; for he is the firstfruits of his vigour: the right of the firstborn is his.

but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

18 If a man have an unmanageable and rebellious son, who hearkeneth not unto the voice of his father, nor unto the voice of his mother, and they have chastened him, but he hearkeneth not unto them;

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and, though they chasten him, will not listen to them;

19 then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place;

20 and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is unmanageable and rebellious, he hearkeneth not unto our voice; he is a profligate and a drunkard.

and they shall tell the elders of his city, "This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard."

21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die. And thou shalt put evil away from thy midst; and all Israel shall hear and fear.

All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou have hanged him on a tree,

If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and you hang him on a tree;

23 his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day (for he that is hanged is a curse of God); and thou shalt not defile thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed by God; that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.