Deuteronomy 17
Open in the reader1You shall not sacrifice to He-Who-Is your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to He-Who-Is your God.
2If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that He-Who-Is your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of He-Who-Is your God by transgressing His covenant
3and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
4and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Strives-with-God,
5you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.
6On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.
7The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
8If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place He-Who-Is your God will choose.
9You are to go to the Joined-One priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
10You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place He-Who-Is will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you,
11according to the terms of teaching they give and the verdict they proclaim. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from the decision they declare to you.
12But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve He-Who-Is your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Strives-with-God.
13Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.
14When you enter the land that He-Who-Is your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
15you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom He-Who-Is your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.
16But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Two-Straits to acquire more horses, for He-Who-Is has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’
17He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
18When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Joined-One priests.
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 He-Who-Is his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.
20Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Strives-with-God.