Deuteronomy Chapter 17

¹ “Don’t sacrifice an ox or sheep that has a blemish. The LORD detests that.

^2-4 “In any of your towns, if you hear about a man or woman that breaks the covenant by serving other gods or worshiping the sun, moon, or stars, verify that detestable thing thoroughly. ⁵ Then take the person to your city gates and stone that man or woman to death. ⁶ You need the testimony of two or three witnesses to execute anyone. Don’t execute anybody on the word of one witness. ⁷ The accuser needs to throw the first stone. Then the people will join in. That’s how you’re to purge evil from among you.

⁸ “If a case is too hard for you to decide in your courts—between one kind of homicide and another, between one kind of lawsuit and another, between one kind of assault and another—go to where the LORD designates. ⁹ Go to the Levitical priest or judge that’s in office and lay the case in front of him. He’ll render a verdict. ¹⁰ Carry out all its terms. ¹¹ Follow the law he teaches you in the verdict he gives. ¹² The person will die that ignores the priest or judge. That’s how you’re to purge evil from Israel. ¹³ The other people will hear about it and show respect, and not act presumptuously again.

Deut 17:1-13

The King

¹⁴ “When you’re in the land, you’ll want to install a king like the nations around you. ¹⁵ Install a fellow citizen that the LORD chooses. ¹⁶ He must not multiply horses for himself or send people to Egypt to multiply them. The LORD has said never to go back there. ¹⁷ He must not multiply wives; they’ll turn his heart away. He must not amass silver and gold for himself.

¹⁸ “When he sits on the throne, he’s to write a copy of this Law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ It’ll be with him to read all his life

so he’ll learn to respect the LORD by doing what it says,

²⁰ so he won’t lord it over fellow citizens,

so he won’t deviate from its commandments,

so he and his descendants will continue long in his kingdom.  

Deut 17:14-20