21:1. When there shall be found in the land, which the Lord thy God
will give thee, the corpse of a man slain, and it is not known who is
guilty of the murder,
21:2. Thy ancients and judges shall go out, and shall measure from the
place where the body lieth the distance of every city round about:
21:3. And the ancients of that city which they shall perceive to be
nearer than the rest, shall take a heifer of the herd, that hath not
drawn in the yoke, nor ploughed the ground,
21:4. And they shall bring her into a rough and stony valley, that
never was ploughed, nor sown: and there they shall strike off the head
of the heifer:
21:5. And the priests the sons of Levi shall come, whom the Lord thy
God hath chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and that
by their word every matter should be decided, and whatsoever is clean
or unclean should be judged.
21:6. And the ancients of that city shall come to the person slain, and
shall wash their hands over the heifer that was killed in the valley,
21:7. And shall say: Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our
eyes see it.
21:8. Be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O
Lord, and lay not innocent blood to their charge, in the midst of thy
people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be taken from them:
21:9. And thou shalt be free from the innocent’s blood, that was shed,
when thou shalt have done what the Lord hath commanded thee.
21:10. If thou go out to fight against thy enemies, and the Lord thy
God deliver them into thy hand, and thou lead them away captives,
21:11. And seest in the number of the captives a beautiful woman, and
lovest her, and wilt have her to wife,
21:12. Thou shalt bring her into thy house: and she shall shave her
hair, and pare her nails,
21:13. And shall put off the raiment, wherein she was taken: and shall
remain in thy house, and mourn for her father and mother one month: and
after that thou shalt go in unto her, and shalt sleep with her, and she
shall be thy wife.
21:14. But if afterwards she please thee not, thou shalt let her go
free, but thou mayst not sell her for money nor oppress her by might
because thou hast humbled her.
21:15. If a man have two wives, one beloved, and the other hated, and
they have had children by him, and the son of the hated be the
firstborn,
21:16. And he meaneth to divide his substance among his sons: he may
not make the son of the beloved the firstborn, and prefer him before
the son of the hated.
21:17. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn,
and shall give him a double portion of all he hath: for this is the
first of his children, and to him are due the first birthrights.
21:18. If a man have a stubborn and unruly son, who will not hear the
commandments of his father or mother, and being corrected, slighteth
obedience:
21:19. They shall take him and bring him to the ancients of the city,
and to the gate of judgment,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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