Deuteronomy 17:20 - Prayer Tents

17"Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God cattle or sheep that have any defects; the LORD hates this.H2076H3068H430H7794H7716H3971H7451H1697H8441H3068H430 2"Suppose you hear that in one of your towns some men or women have sinned against the LORD and broken his covenantH4672H7130H259H8179H3068H430H5414H376H802H6213H7451H5869H3068H430H5674H1285 3by worshiping and serving other gods or the sun or the moon or the stars, contrary to the LORD's command.H3212H5647H312H430H7812H8121H3394H6635H8064H6680 4If you hear such a report, then investigate it thoroughly. If it is true that this evil thing has happened in Israel,H5046H8085H1875H3190H571H1697H3559H8441H6213H3478 5then take them outside the town and stone them to death.H3318H376H802H6213H7451H1697H8179H376H802H5619H68H4191 6However, they may be put to death only if two or more witnesses testify against them; they are not to be put to death if there is only one witness.H6310H8147H5707H7969H5707H4191H4191H6310H259H5707H4191 7The witnesses are to throw the first stones, and then the rest of the people are to stone them; in this way you will get rid of this evil.H3027H5707H7223H4191H314H3027H5971H1197H7451H1197H7130 8"It may be that some cases will be too difficult for the local judges to decide, such as certain cases of property rights or of bodily injury or those cases that involve a distinction between murder and manslaughter. When this happens, go to the one place of worship chosen by the LORD your God,H1697H6381H4941H1818H1818H1779H1779H5061H5061H1697H7379H8179H6965H5927H4725H3068H430H977 9and present your case to the levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time, and let them decide the case.H935H3548H3881H8199H3117H1875H5046H1697H4941 10They will give their decision, and you are to do exactly as they tell you.H6213H6310H1697H4725H3068H977H5046H8104H6213H3384 11Accept their verdict and follow their instructions in every detail.H6310H8451H3384H4941H559H6213H5493H1697H5046H3225H8040 12Anyone who dares to disobey either the judge or the priest on duty is to be put to death; in this way you will remove this evil from Israel.H376H6213H2087H8085H3548H5975H8334H3068H430H8199H376H4191H1197H7451H3478 13Then everyone will hear of it and be afraid, and no one else will dare to act in such a way.H5971H8085H3372H2102

Instructions concerning a King

14"After you have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is going to give you and have settled there, then you will decide you need a king like all the nations around you.H935H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427H559H7760H4428H1471H5439 15Be sure that the man you choose to be king is the one whom the LORD has chosen. He must be one of your own people; do not make a foreigner your king.H7760H7760H4428H3068H430H977H7130H251H7760H4428H3201H5414H5237H376H251 16The king is not to have a large number of horses for his army, and he is not to send people to Egypt to buy horses, because the LORD has said that his people are never to return there.H7235H5483H5971H7725H4714H7235H5483H3068H559H3254H7725H1870 17The king is not to have many wives, because this would make him turn away from the LORD; and he is not to make himself rich with silver and gold.H7235H802H3824H5493H3966H7235H3701H2091 18When he becomes king, he is to have a copy of the book of God's laws and teachings made from the original copy kept by the levitical priests.H3427H3678H4467H3789H4932H8451H5612H6440H3548H3881 19He is to keep this book near him and read from it all his life, so that he will learn to honor the LORD and to obey faithfully everything that is commanded in it.H7121H3117H2416H3925H3372H3068H430H8104H1697H8451H2706H6213 20This will keep him from thinking that he is better than other Israelites and from disobeying the LORD's commands in any way. Then he will reign for many years, and his descendants will rule Israel for many generations.H3824H7311H251H5493H4687H3225H8040H748H3117H4467H1121H7130H3478