Deuteronomy 17:20 - Prayer Tents

17"You must 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.H2076H3068H430H7794H7716H3971H7451H1697H8441H3068H430

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 covenantH4672H7130H259H8179H3068H430H5414H376H802H6213H7451H5869H3068H430H5674H1285 3and has gone to worship other gods by bowing down to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky— which I have forbidden—H3212H5647H312H430H7812H8121H3394H6635H8064H6680 4and if you are told or hear [about it], you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable thing has happened in Israel,H5046H8085H1875H3190H571H1697H3559H8441H6213H3478 5you must bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.H3318H376H802H6213H7451H1697H8179H376H802H5619H68H4191 6The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness.H6310H8147H5707H7969H5707H4191H4191H6310H259H5707H4191 7The witnesses' hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you.H3027H5707H7223H4191H314H3027H5971H1197H7451H1197H7130

Difficult Cases

8"If a case is too difficult for you— concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults— cases disputed at your gates, you must go up to the place the LORD your God chooses.H1697H6381H4941H1818H1818H1779H1779H5061H5061H1697H7379H8179H6965H5927H4725H3068H430H977 9You 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.H935H3548H3881H8199H3117H1875H5046H1697H4941 10You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD chooses. Be careful to do exactly as they instruct you.H6213H6310H1697H4725H3068H977H5046H8104H6213H3384 11You 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.H6310H8451H3384H4941H559H6213H5493H1697H5046H3225H8040 12The 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.H376H6213H2087H8085H3548H5975H8334H3068H430H8199H376H4191H1197H7451H3478 13Then all the people will hear [about it], be afraid, and no longer behave arrogantly.H5971H8085H3372H2102

Appointing a King

14"When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, take possession of it, live in it, and say, 'We want to appoint a king over us like all the nations around us,'H935H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427H559H7760H4428H1471H5439 15you are to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. Appoint a king from your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people.H7760H7760H4428H3068H430H977H7130H251H7760H4428H3201H5414H5237H376H251 16However, 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.'H7235H5483H5971H7725H4714H7235H5483H3068H559H3254H7725H1870 17He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won't go astray. He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself.H7235H802H3824H5493H3966H7235H3701H2091 18When 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.H3427H3678H4467H3789H4932H8451H5612H6440H3548H3881 19It 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 the LORD his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes.H7121H3117H2416H3925H3372H3068H430H8104H1697H8451H2706H6213 20Then 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 ruling many years over Israel.H3824H7311H251H5493H4687H3225H8040H748H3117H4467H1121H7130H3478