◄ Deuteronomy 21 ►
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1If [one] is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, 1כִּי־ יִמָּצֵ֣א חָלָ֗ל בָּאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֤ן לְךָ֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ נֹפֵ֖ל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖ע מִ֥י הִכָּֽהוּ׃
2your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities. 2וְיָצְא֥וּ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶ֑יךָ וּמָדְדוּ֙ אֶל־ הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבֹ֥ת הֶחָלָֽל׃
3Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work, 3וְהָיָ֣ה הָעִ֔יר הַקְּרֹבָ֖ה אֶל־ הֶחָלָ֑ל וְלָֽקְח֡וּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֜וא עֶגְלַ֣ת בָּקָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־ עֻבַּד֙ בָּ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־ מָשְׁכָ֖ה בְּעֹֽל׃
4bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream. 4וְהוֹרִ֡דוּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֤וא אֶת־ הָֽעֶגְלָה֙ אֶל־ נַ֣חַל אֵיתָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־ יֵעָבֵ֥ד בּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִזָּרֵ֑עַ וְעָֽרְפוּ־ שָׁ֥ם אֶת־ הָעֶגְלָ֖ה בַּנָּֽחַל׃
5And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault. 5וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִי֒ כִּ֣י בָ֗ם בָּחַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וְעַל־ פִּיהֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה כָּל־ רִ֥יב וְכָל־ נָֽגַע׃
6Then all the elders of the city nearest the victim shall wash their hands by the stream over the heifer whose neck has been broken, 6וְכֹ֗ל זִקְנֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔וא הַקְּרֹבִ֖ים אֶל־ הֶחָלָ֑ל יִרְחֲצוּ֙ אֶת־ יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־ הָעֶגְלָ֖ה הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה בַנָּֽחַל׃
7and they shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it. 7וְעָנ֖וּ וְאָמְר֑וּ יָדֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א [שפכה] (שָֽׁפְכוּ֙) אֶת־ הַדָּ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְעֵינֵ֖ינוּ לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃
8Accept this atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for. 8כַּפֵּר֩ לְעַמְּךָ֨ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־ פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה וְאַל־ תִּתֵּן֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֖רֶב עַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְנִכַּפֵּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם הַדָּֽם׃
9So you shall purge from among you the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD. 9וְאַתָּ֗ה תְּבַעֵ֛ר הַדָּ֥ם הַנָּקִ֖י מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־ תַעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס
10When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take them captive, 10כִּֽי־ תֵצֵ֥א לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־ אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנ֞וֹ יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּיָדֶ֖ךָ וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ׃
11if you see a beautiful woman among [them], and you desire her and want to take her as your wife, 11וְרָאִיתָ֙ בַּשִּׁבְיָ֔ה אֵ֖שֶׁת יְפַת־ תֹּ֑אַר וְחָשַׁקְתָּ֣ בָ֔הּ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ לְךָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
12then you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails, 12וַהֲבֵאתָ֖הּ אֶל־ תּ֣וֹךְ בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ וְגִלְּחָה֙ אֶת־ רֹאשָׁ֔הּ וְעָשְׂתָ֖ה אֶת־ צִפָּרְנֶֽיהָ׃
13and put aside the clothes of her captivity. After she has lived in your house a full month and mourned her father and mother, you may have relations with her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. 13וְהֵסִ֩ירָה֩ אֶת־ שִׂמְלַ֨ת שִׁבְיָ֜הּ מֵעָלֶ֗יהָ וְיָֽשְׁבָה֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ וּבָֽכְתָ֛ה אֶת־ אָבִ֥יהָ וְאֶת־ אִמָּ֖הּ יֶ֣רַח יָמִ֑ים וְאַ֨חַר כֵּ֜ן תָּב֤וֹא אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וּבְעַלְתָּ֔הּ וְהָיְתָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
14And if you are not pleased with her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her. 14וְהָיָ֞ה אִם־ לֹ֧א חָפַ֣צְתָּ בָּ֗הּ וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ֙ לְנַפְשָׁ֔הּ וּמָכֹ֥ר לֹא־ תִמְכְּרֶ֖נָּה בַּכָּ֑סֶף לֹא־ תִתְעַמֵּ֣ר בָּ֔הּ תַּ֖חַת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִנִּיתָֽהּ׃ ס
15If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and [both] bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, 15כִּֽי־ תִהְיֶ֨יןָ לְאִ֜ישׁ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֗ים הָאַחַ֤ת אֲהוּבָה֙ וְהָאַחַ֣ת שְׂנוּאָ֔ה וְיָֽלְדוּ־ ל֣וֹ בָנִ֔ים הָאֲהוּבָ֖ה וְהַשְּׂנוּאָ֑ה וְהָיָ֛ה הַבֵּ֥ן הַבְּכ֖וֹר לַשְּׂנִיאָֽה׃
16when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not [appoint] the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over [the son] of the unloved wife. 16וְהָיָ֗ה בְּיוֹם֙ הַנְחִיל֣וֹ אֶת־ בָּנָ֔יו אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־ יִהְיֶ֖ה ל֑וֹ לֹ֣א יוּכַ֗ל לְבַכֵּר֙ אֶת־ בֶּן־ הָ֣אֲהוּבָ֔ה עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י בֶן־ הַשְּׂנוּאָ֖ה הַבְּכֹֽר׃
17Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For [that son] is the firstfruits of his [father’s] strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him. 17כִּי֩ אֶת־ הַבְּכֹ֨ר בֶּן־ הַשְּׂנוּאָ֜ה יַכִּ֗יר לָ֤תֶת לוֹ֙ פִּ֣י שְׁנַ֔יִם בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־ יִמָּצֵ֖א ל֑וֹ כִּי־ הוּא֙ רֵאשִׁ֣ית אֹנ֔וֹ ל֖וֹ מִשְׁפַּ֥ט הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃ ס
18If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother, [or] listen to them when disciplined, 18כִּֽי־ יִהְיֶ֣ה לְאִ֗ישׁ בֵּ֚ן סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמוֹרֶ֔ה אֵינֶ֣נּוּ שֹׁמֵ֔עַ בְּק֥וֹל אָבִ֖יו וּבְק֣וֹל אִמּ֑וֹ וְיסְּר֣וּ‪‬‪‬‪‬ אֹת֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
19his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown, 19וְתָ֥פְשׂוּ ב֖וֹ אָבִ֣יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ וְהוֹצִ֧יאוּ אֹת֛וֹ אֶל־ זִקְנֵ֥י עִיר֖וֹ וְאֶל־ שַׁ֥עַר מְקֹמֽוֹ׃
20and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 20וְאָמְר֞וּ אֶל־ זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֗וֹ בְּנֵ֤נוּ זֶה֙ סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמֹרֶ֔ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ בְּקֹלֵ֑נוּ זוֹלֵ֖ל וְסֹבֵֽא׃
21Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid. 21וּ֠רְגָמֻהוּ כָּל־ אַנְשֵׁ֨י עִיר֤וֹ בָֽאֲבָנִים֙ וָמֵ֔ת וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִשְׁמְע֥וּ וְיִרָֽאוּ׃ ס
22If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, 22וְכִֽי־ יִהְיֶ֣ה בְאִ֗ישׁ חֵ֛טְא מִשְׁפַּט־ מָ֖וֶת וְהוּמָ֑ת וְתָלִ֥יתָ אֹת֖וֹ עַל־ עֵֽץ׃
23you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. 23לֹא־ תָלִ֨ין נִבְלָת֜וֹ עַל־ הָעֵ֗ץ כִּֽי־ קָב֤וֹר תִּקְבְּרֶ֙נּוּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּֽי־ קִלְלַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים תָּל֑וּי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמֵּא֙ אֶת־ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃ ס
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Deuteronomy 20
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