Deuteronomy 21

1 If one be founde slaine in the lande, which the Lord thy God giueth thee to possesse it, lying in the field, and it is not knowe who hath slaine him,

'When one is found slain on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it — fallen in a field — it is not known who hath smitten him,

2 Then thine Elders and thy Iudges shall come forth, and measure vnto the cities that are round about him that is slayne.

then have thine elders and thy judges gone out and measured unto the cities which [are] round about the slain one,

3 Aud let ye Elders of that citie, which is next vnto the slaine man, take out of the droue an heifer that hath not bene put to labour, nor hath drawen in the yoke.

and it hath been, the city which [is] near unto the slain one, even the elders of that city have taken a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, which hath not drawn in the yoke,

4 And let the Elders of that citie bring the heifer vnto a stonie valley, which is neyther eared nor sowen, and strike off the heifers necke there in the valley.

and the elders of that city have brought down the heifer unto a hard valley, which is not tilled nor sown, and have beheaded there the heifer in the valley.

5 Also the Priests the sonnes of Leui (whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister, and to blesse in the name of the Lord) shall come forth, and by their word shall all strife and plague be tried.

'And the priests, sons of Levi, have come nigh — for on them hath Jehovah thy God fixed to serve Him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah, and by their mouth is every strife, and every stroke —

6 And all the Elders of that citie that came neere to the slayne man, shall wash their hands ouer the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

and all the elders of that city, who are near unto the slain one, do wash their hands over the heifer which is beheaded in the valley,

7 And shall testifie, and say, Our handes haue not shed this blood, neither haue our eies seene it.

and they have answered and said, Our hands have not shed this blood, and our eyes have not seen —

8 O Lord, be mercifull vnto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay no innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel, and the blood shalbe forgiuen them.

receive atonement for Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast ransomed, O Jehovah, and suffer not innocent blood in the midst of Thy people Israel; and the blood hath been pardoned to them,

9 So shalt thou take away the cry of innocet blood from thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.

and thou dost put away the innocent blood out of thy midst, for thou dost that which [is] right in the eyes of Jehovah.

10 Whe thou shalt go to warre against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God shall deliuer them into thine hands, and thou shalt take the captiues,

'When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God hath given them into thy hand, and thou hast taken captive its captivity,

11 And shalt see among the captiues a beautifull woman, and hast a desire vnto her, and wouldest take her to thy wife,

and hast seen in the captivity a woman of fair form, and hast delighted in her, and hast taken to thee for a wife,

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shaue her head, and pare her nayles,

then thou hast brought her in unto the midst of thy household, and she hath shaved her head, and prepared her nails,

13 And she shall put off the garment that shee was taken in, and she shall remaine in thine house, and bewaile her father and her mother a moneth long: and after that shalt thou go in vnto her, and marry her, and she shalbe thy wife.

and turned aside the raiment of her captivity from off her, and hath dwelt in thy house, and bewailed her father and her mother a month of days, and afterwards thou dost go in unto her and hast married her, and she hath been to thee for a wife:

14 And if thou haue no fauour vnto her, then thou mayest let her go whither she will, but thou shalt not sell her for money, nor make marchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

'And it hath been — if thou hast not delighted in her, that thou hast sent her away at her desire, and thou dost not at all sell her for money; thou dost not tyrannize over her, because that thou hast humbled her.

15 If a man haue two wiues, one loued and another hated, and they haue borne him children, both the loued and also the hated: if the first borne be the sonne of the hated,

'When a man hath two wives, the one loved and the other hated, and they have borne to him sons (the loved one and the hated one), and the first-born son hath been to the hated one;

16 Then when the time commeth, that hee appointeth his sonnes to be heires of that which he hath, he may not make the sonne of the beloued first borne before the sonne of the hated, which is the first borne:

then it hath been, in the day of his causing his sons to inherit that which he hath, he is not able to declare first-born the son of the loved one, in the face of the son of the hated one — the first-born.

17 But he shall acknowledge the sonne of the hated for the first borne, and giue him double portion of all that he hath: for hee is the first of his strength, and to him belongeth the right of the first borne.

But the first-born, son of the hated one, he doth acknowledge, to give to him a double portion of all that is found with him, for he [is] the beginning of his strength; to him [is] the right of the first-born.

18 If any man haue a sonne that is stubburne and disobedient, which wil not hearken vnto the voice of his father, nor the voyce of his mother, and they haue chastened him, and he would not obey them,

'When a man hath a son apostatizing and rebellious — he is not hearkening to the voice of his father, and to the voice of his mother, and they have chastised him, and he doth not hearken unto them —

19 Then shall his father and his mother take him, and bring him out vnto the Elders of his citie, and vnto the gate of the place where he dwelleth,

then laid hold on him have his father and his mother, and they have brought him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place,

20 And shall say vnto the Elders of his citie, This our sonne is stubburne and disobedient, and he wil not obey our admonition: he is a riotour, and a drunkard.

and have said unto the elders of his city, Our son — this one — is apostatizing and rebellious; he is not hearkening to our voice — a glutton and drunkard;

21 Then all the men of his citie shall stone him with stones vnto death: so thou shalt take away euill from among you, that all Israel may heare it, and feare.

and all the men of his city have stoned him with stones, and he hath died, and thou hast put away the evil out of thy midst, and all Israel do hear and fear.

22 If a man also haue committed a trespasse worthy of death, and is put to death, and thou hangest him on a tree,

'And when there is in a man a sin — a cause of death, and he hath been put to death, and thou hast hanged him on a tree,

23 His body shall not remaine all night vpon the tree, but thou shalt bury him the same day: for the curse of God is on him that is hanged. Defile not therfore thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee to inherite.

his corpse doth not remain on the tree, for thou dost certainly bury him in that day — for a thing lightly esteemed of God [is] the hanged one — and thou dost not defile thy ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee — an inheritance.