Deuteronomy 17 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

17 “Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or sheep with a defect or any serious flaw, for that is detestable to the Lord your God.(A)

The Judicial Procedure for Idolatry

2 “If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that the Lord your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violating his covenant(B) 3 and has gone to serve other gods(C) by bowing in worship to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky(D)—which I have forbidden(E) 4 and if you are told or hear about it, then investigate it thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done in Israel, 5 you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.(F) 6 The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses.(G) No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness. 7 The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people.(H) You must purge the evil from you.(I)

Difficult Cases

8 “If a case is too difficult for you—concerning bloodshed,(J) lawsuits,(K) or assaults(L)—cases disputed at your city gates,(M) then go up to the place the Lord your God chooses. 9 You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Ask, and they will give you a verdict in the case. 10 You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do exactly as they instruct you. 11 You must abide by the instruction they give you and the verdict they announce to you. Do not turn to the right or the left from the decision they declare to you. 12 The person who acts arrogantly, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there serving the Lord your God or to the judge, must die. You must purge the evil from Israel. 13 Then all the people will hear about it, be afraid, and no longer behave arrogantly.

Appointing a King

14 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you,(N) take possession of it, live in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations around me,’ 15 you are to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses.(O) Appoint a king from your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people.(P) 16 However, he must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire many horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’(Q) 17 He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won’t go astray.(R) He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself.(S) 18 When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear(T) the Lord his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes. 20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, he will not turn from this command to the right or the left, and he and his sons will continue reigning many years[a] in Israel.

Footnotes

  1. 17:20 Lit will lengthen days on his kingdom

Cross references

  1. 17:1 : Lv 3:1,6; 9:2–3; 21:17–23; 22:17–25; 23:12; Nm 19:2; Dt 15:21; Mal 1:8; Heb 9:14; 1Pt 1:19; 2Pt 3:14
  2. 17:2 : Dt 31:16
  3. 17:3 : Dt 13:6,13; Jos 23:16
  4. 17:3 : Dt 4:19; 2Kg 23:5; Jb 31:26–28; Ps 148:3; Is 24:23; 60:19–20; Jr 8:2
  5. 17:2–5 : Dt 13:12–15; 29:18
  6. 17:5 : Dt 22:24
  7. 17:6 : Dt 19:15; Mt 18:16; 2Co 13:1; 1Tm 5:19; Heb 10:28
  8. 17:7 : Dt 13:9
  9. 17:7 : Dt 13:5; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21–24; 24:7; 1Co 5:13
  10. 17:8 : Ex 21:12–14,18–25; Nm 35:9–34; Dt 19:1–13; 25:7
  11. 17:8 : Ex 22:6–14
  12. 17:8 : Ex 21:22–26; Lv 24:19–20
  13. 17:8 : Dt 21:19; 22:15
  14. 17:14 : Dt 26:1
  15. 17:14–15 : 1Sm 8:4–22
  16. 17:15 : Gn 17:6,16; 35:11; Nm 24:17–19
  17. 17:16 : 1Kg 10:28–29
  18. 17:17 : 1Kg 11:3–4
  19. 17:17 : 1Kg 10:21–25
  20. 17:19 : Dt 14:23

You Might Also Like:

Deuteronomy 17 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

17 `Thou dost not sacrifice to Jehovah thy God ox or sheep in which there is a blemish -- any evil thing; for it [is] the abomination of Jehovah thy God. 2 `When there is found in thy midst, in one of thy cities which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, a man or a woman who doth the evil thing in the...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

17 Thou shalt not offer to thy Lord God an ox and a sheep in which is a wem, either anything of vice/either anything of reproof, for it is abomination to thy Lord God. (Thou shalt not offer to the Lord thy God an ox or a sheep which hath a blemish, or a fault, for that is an abomination to the Lord ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - World English Bible (WEB)

17 You shall not sacrifice to Yahweh your God an ox or a sheep in which is a defect or anything evil; for that is an abomination to Yahweh your God. 2 If there is found among you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you, a man or woman who does that which is evil in Yahweh your God’...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - The Voice (VOICE)

17 Moses: Don’t sacrifice an ox or a sheep to the Eternal your God if it has any defect or problem. He would be deeply offended by such an offering! 2 What if, in one of the towns the Eternal your God is giving you, a man or a woman does what He considers wrong and breaks His covenant 3 by going an...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Investigations and Witnesses17 “You are not to sacrifice to Adonai your God a bull or a sheep that has a defect or anything bad—for that would be an abomination to Adonai your God. 2 Suppose there is found in your midst—within one of your gates that Adonai your God is giving you—a man or woman who ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

17 “You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever; for that is an abomination to the Lord your God. 2 “If there is found among you, within any of your towns which the Lord your God gives you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

17 “You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever; for that is an abomination to the Lord your God. 2 “If there is found among you, within any of your towns which the Lord your God gives you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

17 You must not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has a defect, anything seriously wrong; for that is abhorrent to the Lord your God. 2 If there is found among you, in one of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

17 “You must not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has a defect, anything seriously wrong, for that is abhorrent to the Lord your God.(A)2 “If there is found among you, in one of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of ...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New Living Translation (NLT)

17 “Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the Lord your God, for he detests such gifts. 2 “When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violate the covenant. 3 For instance, the...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New Life Version (NLV)

17 “Do not give to the Lord your God a bull or a sheep which is not perfect. For that is a hated thing to the Lord your God. 2 “You may find among you, within any of your towns the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who does what is sinful in the eyes of the Lord your God by sinning against t...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Various Instructions17 “You (A)shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep which has any [a]blemish or defect, for that is an [b]abomination to the Lord your God. 2 (B)“If there is found among you, within any of your [c]gates which the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who has b...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

17 Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him. 2 If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant, 3 and cont...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New International Version (NIV)

17 Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect(A) or flaw in it, for that would be detestable(B) to him.(C) 2 If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant,(D)...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

17 Suppose an ox or sheep has anything at all wrong with it. Then don’t sacrifice it to the Lord your God. He hates it. 2 Someone living among you might do what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God. It might happen in one of the towns the Lord is giving you. That person is breaking the Lord’s c...
Read More

Deuteronomy 17 - New English Translation (NET)

17 You must not sacrifice to him[a] a bull or sheep that has a blemish or any other defect, because that is considered offensive[b] to the Lord your God. 2 Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you in one of your villages[c] that the Lord your God is giving you who sins before the Lord your Go...
Read More