Deuteronomy 17

1 You shall not [under any circumstances] sacrifice to the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Judge] an ox [cattle, a bull] or a sheep [a lamb, a flock] with any [kind of] defect [blemish, flaw] or serious flaw [evil thing, anything bad], for that is detestable [an abomination, thoroughly disgusting] to the LORD your God. word study 2 If a man [or husband] or woman [or wife] among you in one of the towns [or cities, within any of your gates] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] gives you is found [discovered, or detected] doing evil [or wickedness, that which is bad] in the sight [or eyes, the gaze] of the LORD your God by transgressing [or crossing over, being disobedient to] His covenant [or agreement, promise] word study 3 and going [to walk, to live] to worship [to serve, to bow down] other [different, foreign] gods [Elohim, the supreme God], bowing down [to prostrate oneself] to them or [as an alternative] to the sun [the celestial body] or moon [the natural satellite] or any of the host [army, multitude] of heaven [the visible universe, the abode of God]—which I have [not commanded, explicitly prohibited] forbidden— word study 4 and if it is [openly] reported [declared, told] and you hear [listen, give attention] about it, you must [thoroughly, diligently] investigate [seek, inquire] it thoroughly. If the report [thing, matter] is true [faithful, certain] and such an abomination [detestable thing, disgusting act] has happened [been done, made] in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants], word study 5 you must bring out [to your city entrance, to the public place] to your gates [the entrance of your city, the place of judgment] the man [a male person, an individual] or woman [a female person, a wife] who has done [committed, carried out] this evil [wicked, morally bad] thing, and you must stone [punish with stones, execute] that person to death [until they die, by capital punishment]. word study 6 On the testimony [at the mouth, based on the evidence] of two [a pair, dual witnesses] or three [a trio, triple confirmation] witnesses [those who see or experience, testify] a man shall be put to death [executed, sentenced to die], but he shall not be executed [put to death, slain] on the testimony [word, statement] of a lone [single, one] witness [who sees or experiences, testifies]. word study 7 The hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the witnesses [those who see or experience something] shall be the first [primary, before others] in putting him to death [to die, either literally or as a punishment], and after that, the hands [open hand, strength] of all [everything, the entire nation] the people [a nation or community]. So you must purge [to burn, consume by fire] the evil [bad, moral harm] from among you [from your midst, the inner part of your community]. word study 8 If a case [matter, dispute] is too difficult [hard, complex] for you to judge, whether the controversy [disagreement, strife] within your gates [city entrances, community] is regarding [concerning, about] bloodshed [murder, manslaughter], lawsuits [legal decisions, pleas], or assaults [physical attacks, plagues], you must go up [ascend, rise] to the place [location, site] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God] will choose [select, appoint]. word study 9 You are to go [come, approach] to the Levitical [descendants of Levi] priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] and to the judge [one who governs, vindicates] who presides [serves, is in charge] at that time [in those days, during that period]. Inquire [seek, ask] of them, and they will give you a verdict [sentence, judgment, decision] in the case [matter, affair, thing]. word study 10 You must abide by the verdict [decision, sentence] they give you at the place [location, location of worship] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] will choose [select, elect]. Be careful [watchful, observant] to do everything [all that is instructed] they instruct [teach, guide] you, word study 11 according to the terms of [divine instruction] law they give and the verdict [judgment, decision] they proclaim. Do not turn aside [decline, deviate] to the right or to the left from the decision [sentence, judgment] they declare to you. word study 12 But the man [a male person, individual] who acts presumptuously [with arrogance, in pride], refusing to listen [to hear and obey] either to the priest [who serves God, ministering before the Lord] who stands [in a strong sense, with authority] there to serve [to minister, worship] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God], or to the judge [who governs, vindicates], must be put to death [executed, die as a punishment]. You must purge [remove, eliminate] the evil [bad, morally harmful] from Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study 13 Then all [the entire nation, every individual] the people [a community or nation] will hear [listen and obey, give attention to] and be afraid [fear, revere, stand in awe], and will no longer [not anymore, cease to] behave arrogantly [boil over with pride, act presumptuously, be lifted up in haughtiness]. word study 14 When you enter [come into, arrive at] the land [territory, region] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God] is giving [bestowing, granting] you and have taken possession [occupied, inherited] of it and settled [dwelt, established yourself] in it, and you say [declare, express], “Let us set [appoint, establish] a king [ruler, monarch] over us [to govern us, to lead us] like [similar to, in the manner of] all [every, the whole] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] around [surrounding, neighboring] us,” word study 15 you are to appoint [select, choose] over yourselves the king [royal ruler, monarch] whom the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God] shall choose [select]. Appoint a king [leader, ruler] from among your brothers [fellow Israelites, kin]; you are not to set [place, establish] over yourselves a foreigner [stranger, non-Israelite] who is not one of your brothers [kin, fellow countrymen]. word study 16 But the king [ruler, leader] must not acquire [gather, accumulate] many horses [chariot horses, cavalry] for himself or send [cause to return, lead back] the people [nation, community] back to Egypt [the land of the Nile, a place of bondage] to acquire [buy, obtain] more horses, for the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] has said, ‘You are never [not at all, under no circumstances] to go back [return, turn back] that way [on this path, in this direction] again [any more, once more].’ word study 17 He must not take many [a multitude of] wives for himself, lest [in case, so that] his heart [the innermost part of a person, including mind, will, and emotions] go astray [turn aside, be led away]. He must not accumulate [greatly multiply, gather] for himself large amounts [exceedingly, very much] of silver [money, wealth] and gold [a valuable metal, riches]. word study 18 When he is seated [sitteth, dwelling in a place of authority] on his royal [kingly, sovereign] throne, he must write [record, inscribe] for himself a copy [duplicate, second] of this instruction [law, Torah, guiding principles] on a scroll [book, written document] in the presence [face, before] of the Levitical [descended from Levi, priestly] priests [spiritual leaders, mediators]. word study 19 It is to remain with him [to be constantly near, in his presence], and he is to read from it [to study and meditate on] all the days of his life [every moment, throughout his entire existence], so that he may learn [be taught, guided] to fear [reverence, stand in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] his God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] by carefully observing [diligently keeping, watching over] all the words [commands, teachings] of this instruction [Torah, divine guidance] and these statutes [decrees, laws, divine ordinances]. word study 20 Then his heart [the innermost part of his being, including mind, and emotions] will not be exalted [lifted up in pride] above his countrymen [brothers, fellow Israelites], and he will not turn aside [deviate, depart] from the commandment [God’s law, instruction], to the right [the direction of privilege] or to the left [the direction of rejection], in order that he and his sons [descendants, children] may reign [rule, have dominion] many years [a long period of time] over his kingdom [domain, territory] in Israel [the community of God’s people]. word study