Deuteronomy Chapter 21

Deuteronomy Chapter 21
1 If one be found slain in the land, which
the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess
it, lying in the field, and it is not known
who hath slain him, 2 Then thine elders
and thy judges shall come forth, and
measure unto the cities that are round
about him that is slain.
3 And let the elders of that city, which is
next unto the slain man, take out of the
drove an heifer that hath not been put to
labor, nor hath drawn in the yoke. 4 And
let the elders of that city bring the heifer
unto a stony valley, which is neither
eared nor sown, and strike off the
heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5 Also
the priests the sons of Levi (whom the
Lord thy God hath chosen to minister,
and to bless in the name of the Lord)
shall come forth, and by their word shall
all strife and plague be tried.
6 And all the elders of that city that came
near to the slain man, shall wash their
hands over the heifer that is beheaded in
the valley:
7 And shall testify, and say, Our hands
have not shed this blood, neither have
our eyes seen it.
8 O Lord, be merciful unto thy people
Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and
lay no innocent blood to the charge of
thy people Israel, and the blood shall be
forgiven them.
9 So shalt thou take away the cry of
innocent blood from thee, when thou
shalt do that which is right in the sight of
the Lord.
10 When thou shalt go to war against
thine enemies, and the Lord thy God
shall deliver them into thine hands, and
thou shalt take them captives, 11 And
shalt see among the captives a beautiful
woman, and hast a desire unto her, and
wouldest take her to thy wife,
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to
thine house, and she shall shave her
head, and pare her nails,
13 And she shall put off the garment that
she was taken in, and she shall remain in
thine house, and bewail her father and
her mother a month long: and after that
shalt thou go in unto her, and marry her,
and she shall be thy wife.
14 And if thou have no favor unto her,
then thou mayest let her go whither she
will, but thou shalt not sell her for
money, nor make merchandise of her,
because thou hast humbled her.
15 If a man have two wives, one loved
and another hated, and they have born
him children, both the loved and also the
hated: if the firstborn be the son of the
hated,
16 Then when the time cometh, that he
appointeth his sons to be heirs of that
which he hath, he may not make the son
of the beloved firstborn before the son of
the hated, which is the firstborn:
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of
the hated for the firstborn, and give him
double portion of all that he hath: for he
is the first of his strength, and to him
belongeth the right of the firstborn.
18 If any man have a son that is stubborn
and disobedient, which will not hearken
unto the voice of his father, nor the voice
of his mother, and they have chastened
him, and he would not obey them,
19 Then shall his father and his mother
take him, and bring him out unto the
elders of his city, and unto the gate of the
place where he dwelleth, 20 And shall
say unto the elders of his city, This our
son is stubborn and disobedient, and he
will not obey our admonition: he is a
rioter, and a drunkard.
21 Then all the men of his city shall
stone him with stones unto death: so thou
shalt take away evil from among you,
that all Israel may hear it, and fear. 22 If
a man also have committed a trespass
worthy of death, and is put to death, and
thou hangest him on a tree,
23 His body shall not remain all night
upon the tree, but thou shalt bury him the
same day: for the curse of God is on him
that is hanged. Defile not therefore thy
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee
to inherit.