Deuteronomy · Chapter 21 King James Version

Deuteronomy 21:5

🔍 Text

The Scripture

(5) And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
Chapter overview (whole chapter)

Deuteronomy 21 gives laws for an unsolved murder, in which the elders of the nearest city kill an unworked heifer in a rough valley and wash their hands to disclaim guilt before the Lord. It also covers marrying a captive woman, protecting the firstborn's double inheritance even if his mother is the less-loved wife, and the stoning of a stubborn, rebellious son. The chapter closes by commanding that a hanged man be buried the same day, since one hanged on a tree is accursed of God, so that the land is not defiled.

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