Deuteronomy 17 - Introduction

1 The things sacrificed must bee sound.

2 Idolaters must bee slaine.

8 Hard controuersies are to bee determined by the Priests and Iudges.

12 The contemner of that Determination must die.

14 The election,

16 and duetie of a King.

1 Thou shalt not sacrifice vnto the Lord thy God any bullocke, or [Note: Or, goat.] sheepe wherein is blemish, or any euilfauourednes: for that is an abomination vnto the Lord thy God.

2 If there bee found among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giueth thee, man or woman that hath wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his couenant,

3 And hath gone and serued other gods, and worshipped them, either the Sunne, or Moone, or any of the hoste of heauen, which I haue not commanded,

4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and behold, it be true, and the thing certaine, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:

5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man, or that woman (which haue committed that wicked thing) vnto thy gates, euen that man, or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones till they die.

6 [Note: Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; 2 Corinthians 13:1; Hebrews 10:28.] At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death, be put to death: but at the mouth of one witnesse he shall not bee put to death.

7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first vpon him, to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people: so thou shalt put the euil away from among you.

8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in iudgement, betweene blood and blood, betweene plea and plea, and betweene stroke and stroke, being matters

[The excercise of the King.]

of controuersie within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee vp into the place, which the Lord thy God shall choose;

9 And thou shalt come vnto the Priests the Leuites, & vnto the Iudge that shal be in those dayes, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of Iudgement.

10 And thou shalt doe according to the sentence which they of that place (which the Lord shall choose) shall shew thee, and thou shalt obserue to do according to all that they enforme thee:

11 According to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee, and according to the Iudgement which they shall tell thee thou shalt doe: thou shalt not decline from the Sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.

12 And the man that will doe presumptuously, [Note: Hebrew: not to hearken,] and will not hearken vnto the Priest (that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God) or vnto the Iudge, euen that man shall die, and thou shalt put away the euill from Israel.

13 And all the people shal heare, and feare, and doe no more presumptuously.

14 When thou art come vnto the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee, and shalt possesse it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a King ouer mee, like as all the nations that are about me:

15 Thou shalt in any wise set him King ouer thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose. One from among thy brethren shalt thou set King ouer thee: thou mayest not set a stranger ouer thee, which is not thy brother.

16 But he shall not multiply horses to himselfe, nor cause the people to returne to Egypt, to the ende that hee should multiply horses: for as much as the Lord hath said vnto you, Yee shall hencefoorth returne no more that way.

17 Neither shall he multiply wiues to himselfe, that his heart turne not away: neither shall hee greatly multiply to himselfe siluer and gold.

18 And it shall be when he sitteth vpon the Throne of his kingdome, that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a booke, out of that which is before the Priests the Leuites.

19 And it shall be with him, and hee

[The excercise of the King.]

shall reade therein all the dayes of his life, that hee may learne to feare the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this Law, and these Statutes, to do them:

20 That his heart bee not lifted vp aboue his brethren, and that hee turne not aside from the Commandement, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that hee may prolong his dayes in his kingdome, hee, and his children in the midst of Israel.