1 Neupurē Kungam, savam Dievam, vērsi vai avi, kam ir kāda vaina vai trūkums, – Kungam, tavam Dievam, tā ir preteklība!
2 Ja kādā vietā, ko Kungs, tavs Dievs, tev devis un kur tu mīti, uzrodas kāds vīrs vai sieva un dara to, kas Kungam, tavam Dievam, šķiet ļauns, un pārkāpj viņa derību, 3 ja iet un kalpo citiem dieviem un zemojas tiem vai saulei, vai mēnesim, vai kādam no debesu pulka, ko es neesmu pavēlējis, 4 un tas tiek tev pastāstīts, un tu to esi dzirdējis, tad izmeklē labi, un, redzi, ja patiešām ir skaidrs, ka šāda riebeklība Israēlā ir darīta, 5 tad ved to vīru vai sievu, kas šo ļaunumu darījis, pie saviem vārtiem un nomētājiet to vīru vai sievu akmeņiem! 6 Tie var tikt nonāvēti pēc divu vai trīs liecinieku liecības; pēc viena liecinieka liecības tie nedrīkst tikt nonāvēti! 7 Liecinieks lai pirmais paceļ pret tiem roku, lai nonāvētu, un visa tauta pēc tam. Izsvel ļaunumu no sava vidus!
Tiesnešu un priesteru spriedums
8 Ja kāda no daudzajām tiesu lietām, kas tev radīsies tur, kur tu dzīvosi, būs par grūtu tavam spriedumam – par asinsizliešanu, prasību vai nodarījumu –, tad celies un ej uz vietu, ko izvēlēsies Kungs, tavs Dievs. 9 Ej pie levītiem priesteriem un pie tiesneša, kurš būs tajā laikā, un prasi, lai tie tev saka, kāds ir spriedums! 10 Dari tieši tā, kā viņi tev teiks tajā vietā, ko Kungs būs izvēlējies; piesargies, ka tu izdari visu, kā viņi norādīs! 11 Rīkojies pēc tās bauslības un tiesas, ko viņi tev norādīs, nenovērsies no tā, ko viņi tev teiks, ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi! 12 Ja kāds savā pārdrošībā neklausīs priesteri, kurš iecelts, lai kalpotu Kungam, tavam Dievam, vai tiesnesi, tas lai mirst! Izsvel ļaunumu no Israēla! 13 Visa tauta lai klausās, bīstas un nekad vairs neuzdrošinās tā darīt!
Ķēniņa varas ierobežojumi
14 Kad tu nonāksi zemē, ko Kungs, tavs Dievs, tev dod, un iemantosi to un mitīsi tur, un tad teiksi: es iecelšu sev ķēniņu kā citas tautas, kas ap mani! – 15 tad iecel sev ķēniņu, ko izraudzīsies Kungs, tavs Dievs. Iecel sev ķēniņu no saviem brāļiem; tu nedrīksti iecelt svešzemnieku, kas nav no taviem brāļiem! 16 Tikai lai viņš negādā sev vairāk zirgu un neved tautu atpakaļ uz Ēģipti, lai gādātu vēl vairāk zirgu, jo Kungs ir jums teicis: nekad vairs negriezieties pa šo ceļu atpakaļ! 17 Lai viņš negādā sev vairāk sievu, ka tās nenovērš viņa sirdi, un lai nekrāj pārāk daudz sudraba un zelta. 18 Kad viņš sēdīsies savas valsts tronī, tad lai ņem no levītiem priesteriem un raksta grāmatā šīs bauslības norakstu. 19 Lai tā ir pie viņa, lai viņš to lasa visas savas dzīves dienas, lai mācās bīties Kunga, sava Dieva, lai ievēro visas šīs bauslības vārdus un pilda šos likumus. 20 Lai nepaaugstinās pār saviem brāļiem, lai nenovēršas no baušļiem ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi, tad viņš paildzinās savas valdīšanas dienas, viņš un viņa dēli Israēlā.
Sacrifices That Have Something Wrong with Them
Moses said to Israel:
1 If an ox or a sheep has something wrong with it, don't offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God—he will be disgusted!
Put To Death People Who Worship Idols
Moses said to Israel:
2-3 The Lord your God is giving you towns to live in. But later, a man or a woman in your town may start worshiping other gods, or even the sun, moon, or stars. I have warned you not to worship other gods, because whoever worships them is disobeying the Lord and breaking the agreement he made with you. 4 So when you hear that someone in your town is committing this disgusting sin, you must carefully find out if that person really is guilty. 5-7 But you will need two or three witnesses—one witness isn't enough to prove a person guilty.
Get rid of those who are guilty of such evil. Take them outside your town gates and everyone must stone them to death. But the witnesses must be the first to throw stones.
Difficult Cases
Moses said to Israel:
8-12 It may be difficult to find out the truth in some legal cases in your town. You may not be able to decide if someone was killed accidentally or murdered. Or you may not be able to tell whether an injury or some property damage was done by accident or on purpose. If the case is too difficult, take it to the court at the place where the Lord your God chooses to be worshiped.
This court will be made up of one judge and several priests who serve at the Lord's altar. They will explain the law to you and give you their decision about the case. Do exactly what they tell you, or you will be put to death. 13 When other Israelites hear about it, they will be afraid and obey the decisions of the court.
The King
Moses said:
14 People of Israel, after you capture the land the Lord your God is giving you, and after you settle on it, you will say, “We want a king, just like the nations around us.”
15 Go ahead and appoint a king, but make sure that he is an Israelite and that he is the one the Lord has chosen.
16 The king should not have many horses, especially those from Egypt. The Lord has said never to go back there again. 17 And the king must not have a lot of wives—they might tempt him to be unfaithful to the Lord. Finally, the king must not try to get huge amounts of silver and gold.
18 The official copy of God's laws will be kept by the priests of the Levi tribe. So, as soon as anyone becomes king, he must go to the priests and write out a copy of these laws while they watch. 19 Each day the king must read and obey these laws, so that he will learn to worship the Lord with fear and trembling 20 and not think that he's better than everyone else.
If the king completely obeys the Lord's commands, he and his descendants will rule Israel for many years.
