Deuteronomy

Moses gives speeches about laws and the importance of following God before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

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 be not known who hath slain him:

*If someone is found dead in the land your God gives you, in a field without knowing who killed them.

2 Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:

*Then, your older leaders and judges will step forward to measure the nearby cities for the person who was killed.

3 And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

*Then, the city nearest to the killed person will have its older people get a cow that hasn't been used for work or pulled a load.

4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:

*The older people from that town will take a cow to a rocky, uncultivated valley and kill it there by cutting its neck.

5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:

*The Levite priests will approach. God chose them to serve Him and bless in His name. They will resolve disputes and judge with their words.

6 And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

*All the older people from the nearby city must wash their hands using the blood of a decapitated cow in the valley.

7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

*They will reply, saying, "Our hands didn't cause this bloodshed, and our eyes didn't see it happen."

8 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

*Dear Lord, have mercy on your people Israel, who you saved. Don't hold the guilt of innocent blood against them. Let their guilt be forgiven.

9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

*Thus, you will remove the guilt of unjust deaths from your community by doing what is right in the eyes of God.

10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,

*When you go fight your enemies and the Lord gives them to you, and you capture them,

11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

*You see a pretty captive woman and want her to be your wife.

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

*Then you will take her to your house, and she will shave her head and trim her nails.

13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

*And she will take off the clothes of her captivity and stay in your home, mourning her father and mother for a whole month. After that, you can marry her and she will become your wife.

14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

*If you don't enjoy being with her, let her go where she wants; but don't sell her for money or treat her as a product, since you have mistreated her.

15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:

*If a man has two wives, one he loves and one he doesn't, and they both give him children, loved and unloved; and if the firstborn son is from the wife he doesn't like: (Note: The original verse is from Genesis 30:9 in the Bible.)

16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:

*Then, when he passes on his possessions to his children, he must not give the birthright to the son he loves more over the son he dislikes, as the firstborn should have it.

17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

*But he will accept the child people didn't like as the firstborn, by giving him twice as much of everything he has: because he is the start of his strength; the rights of the firstborn belong to him.

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

*If a boy is disobedient and doesn't listen to his parents, even after being disciplined, this verse is about such a situation.

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

*Then, his parents will grab him and take him to the city's older people and the entrance of his area.

20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

*They will tell the older people in the city, "Our son is stubborn and disobedient. He doesn't listen to us. He eats too much and drinks too much alcohol."

21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

*Any man in your town who does something very bad must be removed by throwing stones at him until he dies. This will help keep the whole country safe, and everyone in Israel will be scared of doing anything wrong.

22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

*If a person does something very bad that deserves death, and they must be executed, and you hang them from a tree.

23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

*Don't leave his body on the tree overnight; you must bury him that day. This is because anyone hanged is considered cursed by God. Doing this will keep your land, given by God, from being polluted.

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