Concerning An Unknown Murder

1If one be found slain in the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who has slain him:

2Then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:

3And it shall be, that the city which is nearest unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer, which has never been worked, and which has not pulled in the yoke;

4And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer to a valley with flowing water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley:

5And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD your God has chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every assault be tried:

6And all the elders of that city, that are nearest unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley:

7And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

8Be merciful, O LORD, unto your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto the charge of your people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

9So shall you put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when you shall do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

Various Laws

10When you go forth to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God has delivered them into your hands, and you have taken them captive,

11And see among the captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire unto her, that you would have her to be your wife;

12Then you shall bring her home to your house; and she shall shave her head, and trim her nails;

13And she shall put the clothing of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month: and after that you shall go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

14And it shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she will; but you shall not sell her at all for money, you shall not make merchandise of her, because you have humiliated her.

15If a man has two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:

16Then it shall be, when he makes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, who is indeed the firstborn:

17But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he has: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

18If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

19Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

20And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

21And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, so that he dies: so shall you put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

22And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is to be put to death, and you hang him on a tree:

23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that your land be not defiled, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.