Deuteronomy 21:1-13 ▼

1 When there shall be found a wounded in the land which Jehovah thy God gave to thee, to possess it, fallen in the field, not knowing who smote him:

2 And thy old men and thy judges shall come forth and measure to the cities which are round about him wounded:

3 And it was the the city being near to the wounded, and the old men of the city took a heifer of the kine which was not worked with, and drew not in the yoke:

4 And the old men of that city brought down the heifer to a perennial valley which shall not be worked in it, and shall not be sown, and they break there the neck of the heifer in the valley;

5 And the priests, the sons of Levi, came near, for in them Jehovah thy God chose to serve him and to bless in the name of Jehovah, and by their mouth shall be every controversy and every blow.

6 And all the old men of that city being near to him wounded, shall wash their hands over the heifer having her neck broken in the valley:

7 And they answered and said, Our hands poured not out this blood, and our eyes saw not.

8 Expiate for thy people Israel whom thou didst redeem, O Jehovah, and thou shalt not give innocent blood in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood was expiated to them.

9 And thou shalt put away innocent blood from the midst of thee when thou shall do the right in the eyes of Jehovah.

10 When thou shalt go forth to war against thine enemy, and Jehovah thy God gave him into thine hand, and thou didst take him captive,

11 And thou sawest in the captivity a woman of beautiful form, and thou didst delight in her, and thou didst take her to thee for a wife;

12 And thou broughtest her to thy house, and she shaved her head and did her nails:

13 And she put away the garment of her captivity from off her, and she dwelt in thy house, and she wept for her father and her mother a month of days: and after that thou shalt go in to her, and thou wert her lord, and she was for wife to thee.