1Thou shalt not sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God an ox , or a sheep , wherein is a blemish , or anything evil ; for that is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God . 2If there be found in the midst of thee , within any of thy gates which Jehovah thy God giveth thee , man or woman, that doeth that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah thy God , in transgressing his covenant , 3and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them , or the sun , or the moon , or any of the host of heaven , which I have not commanded , 4and it be told thee , and thou hast heard of it ; then shalt thou inquire diligently ; and , behold , if it be true, and the thing certain , that such abomination is wrought in Israel , 5then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman , who hath done this evil thing , unto thy gates , even the man or the woman ; and thou shalt stone them to death with stones . 6At the mouth of two witnesses , or three witnesses , shall he that is to die be put to death ; at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death . 7The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death , and afterward the hand of all the people . So thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee .
Justice and Legal Procedures
8If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment , between blood and blood , between plea and plea , and between stroke and stroke , being matters of controversy within thy gates ; then shalt thou arise , and get thee up unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose; 9and thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites , and unto the judge that shall be in those days : and thou shalt inquire ; and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment . 10And thou shalt do according to the tenor of the sentence which they shall show thee from that place which Jehovah shall choose; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee : 11according to the tenor of the law which they shall teach thee , and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee , thou shalt do ; thou shalt not turn aside from the sentence which they shall show thee , to the right hand , nor to the left . 12And the man that doeth presumptuously , in not hearkening unto the priest that standeth to minister there before Jehovah thy God , or unto the judge , even that man shall die : and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel . 13And all the people shall hear , and fear , and do no more presumptuously .
The Authority of the King
14When thou art come unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee , and shalt possess it , and shalt dwell therein , and shalt say, I will set a king over me , like all the nations that are round about me ; 15thou shalt surely set him king over thee , whom Jehovah thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee ; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee , who is not thy brother. 16Only he shall not multiply horses to himself , nor cause the people to return to Egypt , to the end that he may multiply horses ; forasmuch as Jehovah hath said unto you , Ye shall henceforth return no more that way . 17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself , that his heart turn not away : neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold . 18And it shall be , when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom , that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book , out of that which is before the priests the Levites : 19and it shall be with him , and he shall read therein all the days of his life ; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God , to keep all the words of this law and these statutes , to do them ; 20that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment , to the right hand , or to the left : to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom , he and his children , in the midst of Israel .