Deuteronomy 21 NIV ISV Parallel

◄ Deuteronomy 21 ►

NIV Parallel ISV [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]

New International Version

International Standard Version

1If someone is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who the killer was,

1"If a murder victim is found fallen in the open country of the land that the LORD your God is about to give you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,

2your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns.

2then let your elders and judges go out and measure the distance from the dead body to the neighboring cities.

3Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke

3Then the elders of the city nearest the body are to take a heifer that hasn't been put to work or hasn't pulled a yoke

4and lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer's neck.

4and are to lead the heifer to a flowing stream in a valley that has never been tilled or planted. They are to break the heifer's neck there.

5The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.

5Then the priests of the sons of Levi are to step forward, because the LORD your God chose them to serve and pronounce blessings in his name. Every case of dispute and assault is to be subject to their ruling.

6Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

6All the elders of the city nearest the dead body are to wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

7and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.

7and they are to make this declaration: 'Our hands didn't shed this blood, nor were we witnesses to the crime.

8Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent person." Then the bloodshed will be atoned for,

8Make atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, LORD, and don't charge the blood of an innocent man against them.' Then the blood shed will be atoned for.

9and you will have purged from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

9This is how you will remove the guilt of innocent blood from among you, for you must do what is right in the sight of the LORD."

10When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives,

10"If you go to battle against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your control, you may take some prisoners captive.

11if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife.

11If you see among the prisoners a beautiful woman and you desire her, then you may take her as your wife.

12Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails

12Bring her to your house, but shave her head and trim her nails.

13and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife.

13Remove her prisoner's clothing and let her remain for a month in your house, mourning her parents. After that, you may become her husband and she is to become your wife.

14If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.

14If you aren't pleased with her and you send her away, you must not sell her for money or mistreat her, since you will have dishonored her."

15If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love,

15"If a man has two wives where one is loved but the other is unloved, and both of them bear him sons, but the firstborn is the son of the unloved wife,

16when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love.

16then when he bequeaths his possessions to his sons, he must not give preference to the firstborn of the beloved wife over the firstborn of the unloved wife.

17He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father's strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.

17Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn of the unloved wife by giving him double of everything he owns, because he is really the first fruit of his father's strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him."

18If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him,

18"If a man has a stubborn son who does not obey his parents, and although they try to discipline him, he still refuses to pay attention to them,

19his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town.

19then his parents are to seize him and bring him before the elders at the gate of his city.

20They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard."

20Then they are to declare to the elders of their city: 'Our son is stubborn and rebellious. He does not obey us. He lives wildly and is a drunkard.'

21Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.

21Then all the men of his city are to stone him with stones so that he dies. This is how you will remove this evil from among you. Then all Israel will hear of it and will be afraid."

22If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole,

22"If a man is guilty of a capital offense, is executed, and then is impaled on a tree,

23you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

23his body must not remain overnight on the tree. You must bury him that same day, because cursed of God is the one who has been hanged on a tree. Don't defile your land that the LORD is about to give you as your inheritance."

New International Version (NIV)

Bible Hub