Deuteronomy 17
Coverdale Bible of 1535 Par ▾ 

Detestable Sacrifices

1Thou shalt offre vnto the LORDE thy God no oxe or shepe, that hath a blemish or eny euell fauourednesse on it: for that is abhominacion vnto the LORDE thy God.

Purge the Idolater

2Yf there be founde amonge you (within eny of thy gates which the LORDE yi God shal geue ye) a man or woman, that worketh wickednesse in ye sighte of the LORDE thy God, so that he transgresseth his couenaute and goeth, 3and serueth other goddes, & worshippeth them, whether it be Sone or Mone, or eny of the hooste of heauen, which I haue not commaunded, 4and it is tolde the, & thou hearest of it, Then shalt thou make diligent search therfore. And yf thou fyndest that it is so of a trueth, that soch abhominacion is wroughte in Israel, 5then shalt thou brynge forth the same man or ye same woma (which haue done soch euell) vnto thy gates and shalt stone them to death. 6At the mouth of two or thre witnesses shal he dye, that is worthy of death. At the mouth of one witnes shal he not dye. 7The handes of the witnesses shal be the first to kyll him, and the ye handes of all the people, that thou mayest put awaye the euell from the.

Courts of Law

8Yf a matter be to harde for the in iudgmet betwixte bloude and bloude, betwixte plee and plee, betwixte stroke and stroke, and yf there be matters of stryfe within thy gates then shalt thou ryse, and go vp vnto ye place that ye LORDE thy God hath chosen: 9and shalt come to the prestes the Leuites, & to the iudge which shalbe at that tyme, and shalt axe. They shal shewe the how to iudge, 10and thou shalt do therafter, as they saye vnto the, in ye place which the LORDE hath chosen: and thou shalt take hede that thou do acordinge vnto all yt they teach the. 11Acordinge to the lawe yt they teach the, & after the iudgment that they tell ye, shalt thou do so that thou turne not asyde from ye same, nether to the righte hande ner to the lefte. 12And yf eny man deale presumptuously, so that he herkeneth not vnto the prest (which stondeth to do seruyce vnto the LORDE thy God) or to the Iudge, the same shal dye: and thou shalt put awaye the euell from Israel, 13that all ye people maye heare, and feare, and be nomore presumptuous.

Guidelines for a King
(1 Samuel 8:1–9)

14Whan thou art come in to ye londe which the LORDE thy God shal geue the, & takest it in possession, and dwellest therin, and shalt saie: I wil set a kinge ouer me, as all the nacions haue aboute me, 15the shalt thou set him to be kynge ouer the, whom the LORDE thy God shal chose. One of thy brethren shalt thou sett to be kynge ouer the. Thou mayest not set a strauger ouer the, which is not thy brother. 16Onely let him not haue many horses, yt he brynge not ye people againe in to Egipte thorow ye multitude of horses, for as moch as ye LORDE hath sayde vnto you, that from hence forth ye shulde come nomore this waye agayne. 17He shall not haue many wyues also, that his hert be not turned awaye. Nether shal he gather him syluer and golde to moch.

18And whan he is set vpon the seate of his kingdome, he shal take of the prestes the Leuites this seconde lawe, and cause it be wrytten in a boke, 19and that shall he haue by him, and he shall rede therin all the dayes of his life, that he maye lerne to feare ye LORDE his God, to kepe all the wordes of this lawe, all these ordinauces, so that he do therafter. 20He shall not lifte vp his herte aboue his brethren, and shall not turne asyde from the commaundement, nether to the right hade ner to the lefte, that he maye prologe his dayes in his kyngdome, he and his children in Israel.


Coverdale Bible of 1535

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

Deuteronomy 16
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