The expiation of an uncertain murder.

1 ¶ If² [one] be foundºª slainº in the landº which² the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee to possessºª it, lyingºª in the field,º [and] it be not² knownºª who² hath slainºª him: 2 Then thy eldersº and thy judgesºª shall come forth,ºª and they shall measureºª unto² the citiesº which² [are] round aboutº him that is slain:º 3 And it shall be,² [that] the cityº [which is] nextº unto² the slain man,º even the eldersº of that² cityº shall takeºª an heifer,ºº which² hath not² been wrought² with,¹ª [and] which² hath not² drawnºª in the yoke;º 4 And the eldersº of that² cityº shall bring downºª² the heiferº unto² a roughº valley,º which² is neither² earedºª nor² sown,ºª and shall strike off¹ª²² the heifer'sº neck¹ª² there² in the valley:º 5 And the priestsº the sonsº of Leviº shall come near;ºª for² them the LORDº thy Godº hath chosenºª to ministerºª unto him, and to blessºª in the nameº of the LORD;º and by² their wordº shall every² controversyº and every² strokeº be² [tried]: 6 And all² the eldersº of that² city,º [that are] nextº unto² the slainº [man], shall washºª² their handsº over² the heiferº that is beheadedºª in the valley:º 7 And they shall answerºª and say,ºª Our handsº have not² shedºª² this² blood,º neither² have our eyesº seenºª [it]. 8 Be merciful,ºª O LORD,º unto thy peopleº Israel,º whom² thou hast redeemed,ºª and layºª not² innocentº bloodº unto thy peopleº of Israel'sº charge.º And the bloodº shall be forgivenºª them. 9 So shalt thou² put awayºª the [guilt of] innocentº bloodº from amongº² you, when² thou shalt doºª [that which is] rightº in the sightº of the LORD.º

The usage of a captive taken to wife.

10 ¶ When² thou goest forthºª to warº against² thine enemies,ºª and the LORDº thy Godº hath deliveredºª them into thine hands,º and thou hast takenºª them captive,º 11 And seestºª among the captivesº a beautifulº¹² woman,º and hast a desireºª unto her, that thou wouldest have² her¹ª to thy wife;º 12 Then thou shalt bringºª her homeº to thine house;º and she shall shaveºª² her head,º and pareºª² her nails;º 13 And she shall putºª² the raimentº of her captivityº from off²² her, and shall remainºª in thine house,º and bewailºª² her fatherº and her motherº a fullº month:º and afterº that² thou shalt go¹ª in² unto² her, and be her husband,¹ª² and she shall be² thy wife.º 14 And it shall be,² if² thou have no delightºª² in her, then thou shalt let her goºª whither she will;º but thou shalt not² sell¹ª her at allºª for money,º thou shalt not² make merchandiseºª of her, becauseº² thou hast humbledºª her.

The firstborn is not to be disinherited upon private affection.

15 ¶ If² a manº have² twoº wives,º oneº beloved,ºª and anotherº hated,ºª and they have bornºª him children,º [both] the belovedºª and the hated;ºª and [if] the firstbornº sonº be² hers that was hated:º 16 Then it shall be,² whenº he maketh² his sonsº to inheritºª² [that] which² he hath,² [that] he mayºª not² make²² the sonº of the belovedºª firstbornºª beforeº² the sonº of the hated,ºª [which is indeed] the firstborn:º 17 But² he shall acknowledgeºª the sonº of the hatedºª² [for] the firstborn,º by givingºª him a doubleº portionº of all² that² he hath:ºª for² he² [is] the beginningº of his strength;º the rightº of the firstbornº [is] his.

A stubborn son is to be stoned to death.

18 ¶ If² a manº have² a stubbornºª and rebelliousºª son,º which will not² obeyºª the voiceº of his father,º or the voiceº of his mother,º and [that], when they have chastenedºª him, will not² hearkenºª unto² them: 19 Then shall his fatherº and his motherº lay holdºª on him, and bring him outºª² unto² the eldersº of his city,º and unto² the gateº of his place;º 20 And they shall sayºª unto² the eldersº of his city,º This² our sonº [is] stubbornºª and rebellious,ºª he will not² obeyºª our voice;º [he is] a glutton,ºª and a drunkard.ºª 21 And all² the men¹² of his cityº shall stoneºª him with stones,º that he die:ºª so shalt thou put¹ª evil¹ awayºª² from amongº² you; and all² Israelº shall hear,ºª and fear.ºª

The malefactor must not hang all night of a tree.

22 ¶ And if² a manº have committed² a sinº worthy² of¹ death,º and he be to be put to death,ºª and thou hangºª him on² a tree:º 23 His bodyº shall not² remain all nightºª upon² the tree,º but² thou shalt in any wise¹ª buryºª him that² day;º (for² he that is hangedºª [is] accursedº of God;)º that² thy landº be not² defiled,ºª which² the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee [for] an inheritance.º