Deuteronomy Chapter 21

Ceremonial Cleansing for Unsolved Murder

¹ “If a slain body turns up in open country and nobody knows who killed it, ² your elders and judges will figure how far it is to the towns nearby. ³ The elders in the nearest town will take a heifer that hasn’t been worked, ⁴ and go down to a valley with running water—a valley that hasn’t been plowed or sown—and break her neck. ⁵ Then the priests, the Levites, will come—because Yahveh has chosen them to serve him—to bless in his name, to settle assaults. ⁶ The elders in that city will wash their hands over the heifer ⁷ and say, ‘We haven’t shed this blood and don’t know who did. ⁸ Forgive your people that you’ve redeemed, Yahveh. Don’t hold the guilt for innocent blood against us.’ He’ll forgive the murder. ⁹ That’s how you’ll remove the guilt for murder when you do what God considers right.

Marrying a Captive Woman

¹⁰ “When Yahveh delivers your enemies to you in battle, ¹¹ and you see among the captives a beautiful woman you want to take as your wife, ¹² take her home and have her shave her head and trim her nails. ¹³ She’ll change from the clothes you captured her in and live with you in your house for a full month, mourning her parents. After that you can sleep with her, and she’ll be your wife. ¹⁴ If she becomes displeasing to you, let her go wherever she wants to. But don’t sell her or mistreat her, because you’ve humiliated her.                                                                                                                  

Deut 21:1-14

Rights of the Firstborn

¹⁵ “If a man has two wives, one loved and the other loved less, and both have had male firstborn, he can’t put the firstborn of the loved ahead of the firstborn of the one loved less if the latter is older. ^16-17 When he wills his possessions, he must give the double portion to the firstborn of the one less loved. The one that first issued from his virility holds the right of the firstborn.

A Rebellious Son

                                  ¹⁸“If anyone has a stubborn, rebellious son that won’t obey his parents or pay attention when they discipline him, ¹⁹ they’re to take hold of him and take him to the elders in court in his hometown. ²⁰ They’ll tell them, ‘Our son is stubborn, rebellious, and disobedient. He’s a glutton and a drunk.’ ²¹ The men in the city are to stone him to death. That’s how you’re to purge evil from among you. All Israel will hear about it and show respect.

Various Regulations

²² “If someone has been hung on a tree for a crime that deserves death, ²³ don’t leave the corpse on the tree overnight. Bury it the same day so you don’t defile the land Yahveh is giving you. (God considers cursed a person that’s been hanged.)

Deut 21:15-23