Deuteronomy 21

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 'If, in the country which Yahweh your God gives you as your possession, a victim of murder is foundlying in the open country and it is not known who has kil ed that person,	1 Then there shall be found in the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee, the corpse of a man slain, and it is not known who is guilty of the murder,
2 your elders and scribes must measure the distance between the victim and the surrounding towns,	2 Thy ancients and judges shall go out, and shall measure from the place where the body lieth the distance of every city round about:
3 and establish which town is the nearest to the victim. The elders of that town must then take a heiferthat has not yet been put to work or used as a draught animal under the yoke.	3 And the ancients of that city which they shall perceive to be nearer than the rest, shall take a heifer of the herd, that hath not drawn in the yoke, nor ploughed the ground,
4 The elders of that town must bring the heifer down to a permanently flowing river, to a spot that hasbeen neither ploughed nor sown, and there by the river they must break the heifer's neck.	4 And they shall bring her into a rough and stony valley, that never was ploughed, nor sown: and there they shall strike off the head of the heifer:
5 The priests, the sons of Levi, wil then step forward, these being the men whom Yahweh your God haschosen to serve him and to bless in Yahweh's name, and it being their business to settle al cases of dispute orof violence.	5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come, whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and that by their word every matter should be decided, and whatsoever is clean or unclean should be judged.
6 Al the elders of the town nearest to the victim of murder must then wash their hands in the stream,over the slaughtered heifer.	6 And the ancients of that city shall come to the person slain, and shall wash their hands over the heifer that was killed in the valley,
7 They must pronounce these words, "Our hands have not shed this blood and our eyes have seennothing.	7 And shall say: Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.
8 O Yahweh, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed, and let no innocent blood be shedamong your people Israel. May this bloodshed be forgiven them!"	8 Be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and lay not innocent blood to their charge, in the midst of thy people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be taken from them:
9 You must banish all shedding of innocent blood from among you, if you mean to do what is right in theeyes of Yahweh.	9 And thou shalt be free from the innocent's blood, that was shed, when thou shalt have done what the Lord hath commanded thee.
10 'When you go to war against your enemies and Yahweh your God delivers them into your power andyou take prisoners,	10 If thou go out to fight against thy enemies, and the Lord thy God deliver them into thy hand, and thou lead them away captives,
11 and among the prisoners you see a beautiful woman, and you fal in love with her, and you take herto be your wife	11 And seest in the number of the captives a beautiful woman, and lovest her, and wilt have her to wife,
12 and bring her home; she must shave her head and cut her nails,	12 Thou shalt bring her into thy house: and she shall shave her hair, and pare her nails,
13 and take off her prisoner's garb; she must stay inside your house and mourn her father and motherfor a full month. You may then go to her and be a husband to her, and she wil be your wife.	13 And shall put off the raiment, wherein she was taken: and shall remain in thy house, and mourn for her father and mother one month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and shalt sleep with her, and she shall be thy wife.
14 Should she cease to please you, you wil let her go where she wishes, not sel ing her for money: youmust not make any profit out of her, since you have exploited her.	14 Rut if afterwards she please thee not, thou shalt let her go free, but thou mayst not sell her for money nor oppress her by might because thou hast humbled her.
15 'If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and the loved one and the unloved bothbear him children, and if the first-born son is of the unloved wife,	15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and the other hated, and they have had children by him, and the son of the hated be the firstborn,
16 when the man comes to bequeath his goods to his sons, he may not treat the son of the wife whomhe loves as the first-born, at the expense of the son of the wife whom he does not love, the true first-born.	16 And he meaneth to divide his substance among his sons: he may not make the son of the beloved the firstborn, and prefer him before the son of the hated.
17 As his first-born he must acknowledge the son of the wife whom he does not love, giving him adouble share of his estate; this son being the first-fruit of his vigour, the right of the first-born is his.	17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, and shall give him a double portion of all he hath: for this is the first of his children, and to him are due the first birthrights.
18 'If a man has a stubborn and rebel ious son who wil not listen to the voice either of his father or of hismother and, even when they punish him, still wil not pay attention to them,	18 If a man have a stubborn and unruly son, who will not hear the commandments of his father or mother, and being corrected, slighteth obedience:
19 his father and mother must take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate ofthat place.	19 They shall take him and bring him to the ancients of his city, and to the gate of judgment,
20 To the elders of his town, they wil say, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebel ious and will not listento us; he is a wastrel and a drunkard."	20 And shall say to them: This our son is rebellious and stubborn, he slighteth hearing our admonitions, he giveth himself to revelling, and to debauchery and banquetings:
21 Al his fel ow-citizens must then stone him to death. You must banish this evil from among you. AlIsrael, hearing of this, wil be afraid.	21 The people of the city shall stone him: and he shall die, that you may take away the evil out of the midst of you, and all Israel hearing it may be afraid.
22 'If a man guilty of a capital offence is to be put to death, and you hang him from a tree,	22 When a man hath committed a crime for which he is to be punished with death, and being condemned to die is hanged on a gibbet:
23 his body must not remain on the tree overnight; you must bury him the same day, since anyonehanged is a curse of God, and you must not bring pollution on the soil which Yahweh your God is giving you asyour heritage.'	23 His body shall not remain upon the tree, but shall be buried the same day: for he is accursed of God that hangeth on a tree: and thou shalt not defile thy land, which the Lord thy God shall give thee in possession.