The year of release. DEUTERONOMY, XVI. day. Yearly feasts. his neighbour shall release it; he shall B. C. 1451. therefore I command thee this thing tonot exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD's a Ex.21.5,6. release. 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it c.23.20. again: but that which is thine with thy brother, thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. 6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. or, to the end that there be. c c.28.1-8,&c. d ver.10. Ex.13.2. Nu.3.13. 18.17. ƒ c.28.12,44. 16 And it shall be, if " he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee, (because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee,) 17 Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever: And also unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard d unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest. 19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep: thy God year by year, in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household. 7 If there be among you a poor mang c.12.5,6,17. 20 Thou shalt eat it before the LORD of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother; 1Jno.3.17. i Le.22.20. Ga.2.10. 8 But thou shalt open thine hand; Le.25.35-37. wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. kc.12.15,&c. 9 Beware that there be not a 2 thought 2 word. in thy 3 wicked heart, saying, The seventh 3 Belial. year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry Mat 20.15. unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin m Ex.22.23. • unto thee. m I c.28.54,56. c.24.15. n Ex.34.18. 9 Ex.12.31-42. Ps.41.1,2. 10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine God: for in the month of Abib the LORD heart shall not be grieved when thoup 2 Co.9.5-7. thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto: 11 For the poor" shall never cease out c.15.20. of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in the land. W s Nu.28.16-19. Le.25.39-41 12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew Ex.21.2. nian, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years, then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. 13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go awayx Ex.12.10. empty! 14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy wine-press: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. 15 And thou shalt remember " that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: 34.25 or, kill. z Pr.10.22. 167 3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it: seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; (for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste;) that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. 4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coasts seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning. 5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of the gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee: a Idolaters must be slain. a and B. C. 1451. thou follow, that thou mayest live, Eze.18.5,9. inherit the land which the LORD thy God 2 Ch.35.13. giveth thee. c 2 Ki.23.23. 11.55. Jno.2.13,23. 21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of 1 restraint. Le.23.36. Le.26.1. 2 statue, or pillar. Je.44.4. h Ex.23.16. 34.22. Le.23.15. He.2.1. 3 or, goat. i Mal.1.8,13, 4 j 14. or, suffi- c.13.6, &c. ver.17. Jo8.7.11,15. 1 Co.16.2. Ju.2.20. 2 Ki.18.12. Ho.8.1. 11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy mc.12.7,12,18. daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there. 12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes. 13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy 5 corn and thy wine: 14 And thou shalt rejoice P in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. 15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice. 16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: * a 17 Every man shall give 6 as he is able according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee. b 18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. d 19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the 7 words of the righteous. 8 20 That which is altogether just shalt NHOU shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness; for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. 2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in 'transgressing his covenant, 3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; 4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: 5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. 6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So shalt thou put the evil away from among 9 And thou shalt come unto the " priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment. 10 And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: 11 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. 12 And the man that will do presump Duties of a king. DEUTERONOMY, XVIII. 1 not to hearken. The Great Prophet. tuously, 1 and will not hearken unto the B. C. 1451. thy gates out of all Israel, where he sopriest that standeth to minister there bejourned, and come with all the desire fore the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, of his mind unto the place which the LORD even that man shall die: and thou shalt shall choose; put away the evil from Israel. a Je.25.3,&c. Nu.35.2,3. c c.18.5,7. d Ps.84.5. 13 And all the people shall hear, and He.10.28. fear, and do no more presumptuously. 14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, 2 and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me, 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger m over thee, which is not thy brother. k f c.13.5. g c.13.11. i 2 Ch.31.4. his sales by 1 Sa.8.5,19, the fathers. 20. j 1 Sa.9.15-17. 16.12. 1 Ch.22.10. k Je.30.21. Le.18.21, &c. m Je.2.25. 28. Ps.20.7. Hos.14.3. o Is.31.1. 7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD. 8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside 2 that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony. 9 When thou art come into the lar which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth enchanter, or a witch, 16 But he shall not multiply" horses to n 1 Ki.10.25- divination, or an observer of times, or an himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath Eze.17.15. said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return p Ex.13.17. no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 18 And 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: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20 That 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. ΤΗ CHAP. XVIII. HE priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. C 2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD ise their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. 3 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep: and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. Hos.11.5. 1.11.3,4. r Re.22.15. 3 or, upright, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necro mancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations" the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD or, sincere. thy God. Ge.17.1. or, inherit. Zec.6.12,13. Lu.24.19. c1 Co.9.13,14. Mal.3.1. d Nu.12.6-8. He.3.2-6. Jno.4.25. 8.28. 12.49,50. 15.15. Ps.16.5. La.3.24. Le.7.30-34. Mar.16.16. Ac.3.22,23. He.2.3. 12.25. i c.13.1-5. Je. 14. 14,15. Zec.13.3. j Ex.22.29. k Je.28.15 17. Re.19.20. 4 The first-fruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 5 For the LORD thy God hath chosen him 'out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his " 1.41.22,23. sons for ever. 6 And if a Levite come from any of 1 Nu.3.10. m 1 Jno.1-3. Je.28.9. 169 14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, 4 hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. 15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet " from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. b 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he' shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever h will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. k 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall m we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When " a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, The cities of refuge. DEUTERONOMY, XX. Laws to be observed in war. nor come to pass, that is the thing which B. C. 1451. have set in thine inheritance, which thou the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." W CHAP. XIX. HEN the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; 2 Thou shalt separate three d cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. 4 And this is the case of the slayer which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not 3 in time past; a Pr.26.2. c c.12.29. inheritest, or, possessest. 2 or, falling 5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from 4 iron. the helve, 5 and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: 6 5 shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. 16 If a false witness rise up against any man, to testify against him that which is wrong; 17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days; 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. wood. 6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and g Ps.20.7. slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in 8 time past. 7 h smite him in 7 life. 8 from yester day the third day. 7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. 8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy Ex.34.24. coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; i Ge.15.18,21. be tender. 10 make haste. Is.28.16. 9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou; Is.51.7,8. add three cities more for thee, beside these three; 10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. 11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him 11 mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: 12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. Jos.20.7,8. c.1.30. 3.22. Jos.23.10. 21 And thine eye shall not pity; ƒ but life go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. CHAP. XX. WHEN thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach, and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel; ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint; fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against 2 Ch.13.12. your enemies, to save you. 32.7,8. 5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated" it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet 12 eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. 7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?. let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, Hittites to be destroyed. DEUTERONOMY, XXI. Of uncertain murder. What a man is there that is fearful and B. C. 1451. the cities which are round about him that faint-hearted? let him go and return unto is slain: his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies 2 to lead the people. a Ju.7.3. 1b Nu.32.9. 1 melt. 10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 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; 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: d 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 Nu.6.22-27. bless in the name of the LORD; and by their 3 word shall every & controversy and every stroke be tried: e Le.25.44-46. 3 mouth. g c.17.8-10. P.26.6. Mat.27.24. 14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, j Jos.8.2. even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take 4 spoil. unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, 15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God. 19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege: 7 Jos.22.8. IPs.19.12. in the midst. m c.19.13. n Nu.21.2. 20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be sub-u Ge.34.2. dued. CHAP. XXI. F one be found slain in the land which If one be fothy God giveth thee to pos c.22.29. 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: 7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. 8 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed; and lay not innocent blood 5 unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. 9 So shalt thou put away m the guilt of innocent blood from. among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD. 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. 11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, • and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; 12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and 6 pare 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. 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 s her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled" her. 15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated," and they have borne Ge.29.18,20. him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be her's that was hated: 10 Ge.29.31-33. 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 first-born: |