Deuteronomy 21:9

THE MESSAGE

If a dead body is found on the ground, this ground that God , your God, has given you, lying out in the open, and no one knows who killed him, your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance from the body to the nearest cities. The leaders and judges of the city that is nearest the corpse will then take a heifer that has never been used for work, never had a yoke on it. The leaders will take the heifer to a valley with a stream, a valley that has never been plowed or planted, and there break the neck of the heifer. The Levitical priests will then step up. God has chosen them to serve him in these matters by settling legal disputes and violent crimes and by pronouncing blessings in God 's name. Finally, all the leaders of that town that is nearest the body will wash their hands over the heifer that had its neck broken at the stream and say, "We didn't kill this man and we didn't see who did it. Purify your people Israel whom you redeemed, O God . Clear your people Israel from any guilt in this murder." That will clear them from any responsibility in the murder. By following these procedures you will have absolved yourselves of any part in the murder because you will have done what is right in God 's sight.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You must purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, for you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.

Hebrew Names Version
So shall you put away the innocent blood from the midst of you, when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD.

King James Version
So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord .

Lexham English Bible
And so you shall purge the innocent blood from your midst, because you must do the right thing in the eyes of Yahweh.

English Standard Version
So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord .

New Century Version
Then you will have removed from yourselves the guilt of murdering an innocent person, because you will be doing what the Lord says is right.

New English Translation
In this manner you will purge out the guilt of innocent blood from among you, for you must do what is right before the Lord .

Amplified Bible
"So shall you remove the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
"So you shall remove the guilt for innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So shalt thou take away the cry of innocet blood from thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.

Legacy Standard Bible
So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus you will banish the shedding of innocent blood from among you, by doing what Adonai sees as right. Haftarah Shof'tim: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 51:12–52:12 [Messianic adaptation: conclude the reading at 53:12] B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Shof'tim: Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:38–42; 18:15–20; Acts 3:13–26; 7:35–53; 1 Corinthians 5:9–13; 1 Timothy 5:17–22; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 10:28–31 "When you go out to war against your enemies, and Adonai your God hands them over to you, and you take prisoners, and you see among the prisoners a woman who looks good to you, and you feel attracted to her and want her as your wife; you are to bring her home to your house, where she will shave her head, cut her fingernails and remove her prison clothing. She will stay there in your house, mourning her father and mother for a full month; after which you may go in to have sexual relations with her and be her husband, and she will be your wife. In the event that you lose interest in her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes; but you may not sell her for money or treat her like a slave, because you humiliated her. "If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and unloved wives have borne him children, and if the firstborn son is the child of the unloved wife; then, when it comes time for him to pass his inheritance on to his sons, he may not give the inheritance due the firstborn to the son of the loved wife in place of the son of the unloved one, who is in fact the firstborn. No, he must acknowledge as firstborn the son of the unloved wife by giving him a double portion of everything he owns, for he is the firstfruits of his manhood, and the right of the firstborn is his. "If a man has a stubborn, rebellious son who will not obey what his father or mother says, and even after they discipline him he still refuses to pay attention to them; then his father and mother are to take hold of him and bring him out to the leaders of his town, at the gate of that place, and say to the leaders of his town, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he doesn't pay attention to us, lives wildly, gets drunk.' Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death; in this way you will put an end to such wickedness among you, and all Isra'el will hear about it and be afraid. (ii) "If someone has committed a capital crime and is put to death, then hung on a tree, his body is not to remain all night on the tree, but you must bury him the same day, because a person who has been hanged has been cursed by God — so that you will not defile your land, which Adonai your God is giving you to inherit.

Darby Translation
So shalt thou put away innocent blood from thy midst, when thou shalt do what is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
In this way you will remove that guilt from your group by doing what the Lord said.

George Lamsa Translation
So 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.

Good News Translation
And so, by doing what the Lord requires, you will not be held responsible for the murder.

Literal Translation
And you shall put away the innocent blood from among you, for you shall do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus shalt thou put awaye the innocent bloude from the, in that thou doest the thinge whis is righte in the sighte of ye LORDE.

American Standard Version
So shalt thou put away the innocent blood from the midst of thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
So you will take away the crime of a death without cause from among you, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so shalt thou put innocent blood from thee, when thou shalt haue done that which is ryght in the syght of the Lorde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
So shalt thou put away the innocent blood from the midst of thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD.

King James Version (1611)
So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt take away innocent blood from among you, if thou shouldest do that which is good and pleasing before the Lord thy God.

English Revised Version
So shalt thou put away the innocent blood from the midst of thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
So you shall purge from among you the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe thou schalt be alien fro the blood of the innocent which is sched, whanne thou hast do that that the Lord comaundide.

Young's Literal Translation
and thou dost put away the innocent blood out of thy midst, for thou dost that which [is] right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Update Bible Version
So you shall put away the innocent blood from the midst of you, when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
So shalt thou remove the [guilt of] innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do [that which is] right in the sight of the LORD.

World English Bible
So shall you put away the innocent blood from the midst of you, when you shall do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

New King James Version
So you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

New Living Translation
By following these instructions, you will do what is right in the Lord 's sight and will cleanse the guilt of murder from your community.

New Life Bible
So you must take away the guilt of taking the life of a good man by doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

New Revised Standard
So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, because you must do what is right in the sight of the Lord .

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou, therefore shalt consume the guilt of shedding innocent blood out of thy midst, - when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt be free from the innocent’s blood, that was shed, when thou shalt have done what the Lord hath commanded thee.

Revised Standard Version
So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

Contextual Overview

¹If a dead body is found on the ground, this ground that God , your God, has given you, lying out in the open, and no one knows who killed him, your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance from the body to the nearest cities. The leaders and judges of the city that is nearest the corpse will then take a heifer that has never been used for work, never had a yoke on it. The leaders will take the heifer to a valley with a stream, a valley that has never been plowed or planted, and there break the neck of the heifer. The Levitical priests will then step up. God has chosen them to serve him in these matters by settling legal disputes and violent crimes and by pronouncing blessings in God 's name. Finally, all the leaders of that town that is nearest the body will wash their hands over the heifer that had its neck broken at the stream and say, "We didn't kill this man and we didn't see who did it. Purify your people Israel whom you redeemed, O God . Clear your people Israel from any guilt in this murder." That will clear them from any responsibility in the murder. By following these procedures you will have absolved yourselves of any part in the murder because you will have done what is right in God 's sight. When you go to war against your enemies and God , your God, gives you victory and you take prisoners, and then you notice among the prisoners of war a good-looking woman whom you find attractive and would like to marry, this is what you do: Take her home; have her trim her hair, cut her nails, and discard the clothes she was wearing when captured. She is then to stay in your home for a full month, mourning her father and mother. Then you may go to bed with her as husband and wife. If it turns out you don't like her, you must let her go and live wherever she wishes. But you can't sell her or use her as a slave since you've humiliated her. When a man has two wives, one loved and the other hated, and they both give him sons, but the firstborn is from the hated wife, at the time he divides the inheritance with his sons he must not treat the son of the loved wife as the firstborn, cutting out the son of the hated wife, who is the actual firstborn. No, he must acknowledge the inheritance rights of the real firstborn, the son of the hated wife, by giving him a double share of the inheritance: that son is the first proof of his virility; the rights of the firstborn belong to him. When a man has a stubborn son, a real rebel who won't do a thing his mother and father tell him, and even though they discipline him he still won't obey, his father and mother shall forcibly bring him before the leaders at the city gate and say to the city fathers, "This son of ours is a stubborn rebel; he won't listen to a thing we say. He's a glutton and a drunk." Then all the men of the town are to throw rocks at him until he's dead. You will have purged the evil pollution from among you. All Israel will hear what's happened and be in awe. When a man has committed a capital crime, been given the death sentence, executed and hung from a tree, don't leave his dead body hanging overnight from the tree. Give him a decent burial that same day so that you don't desecrate your God -given land—a hanged man is an insult to God. ⁹ If a dead body is found on the ground, this ground that God , your God, has given you, lying out in the open, and no one knows who killed him, your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance from the body to the nearest cities. The leaders and judges of the city that is nearest the corpse will then take a heifer that has never been used for work, never had a yoke on it. The leaders will take the heifer to a valley with a stream, a valley that has never been plowed or planted, and there break the neck of the heifer. The Levitical priests will then step up. God has chosen them to serve him in these matters by settling legal disputes and violent crimes and by pronouncing blessings in God 's name. Finally, all the leaders of that town that is nearest the body will wash their hands over the heifer that had its neck broken at the stream and say, "We didn't kill this man and we didn't see who did it. Purify your people Israel whom you redeemed, O God . Clear your people Israel from any guilt in this murder." That will clear them from any responsibility in the murder. By following these procedures you will have absolved yourselves of any part in the murder because you will have done what is right in God 's sight.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

shalt thou: Deuteronomy 19:12, Deuteronomy 19:13

when thou shalt: Deuteronomy 13:18, 2 Kings 10:30, 2 Kings 10:31

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 2:31 - that thou 2 Kings 21:16 - Manasseh Psalms 106:38 - shed

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Sarai, Abram's wife, hadn't yet produced a child. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, " God has not seen fit to let me have a child. Sleep with my maid. Maybe I can get a family from her." Abram agreed to do what Sarai said.

Genesis 17:20
"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year."

Genesis 21:1
God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised: Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set. Abraham named him Isaac. When his son was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded.

Genesis 21:5
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. Sarah said, God has blessed me with laughter and all who get the news will laugh with me!

Genesis 21:14
Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba. When the water was gone, she left the child under a shrub and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, "I can't watch my son die." As she sat, she broke into sobs.

Genesis 21:24
Abraham said, "I swear it."

2 Chronicles 30:10
So the couriers set out, going from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far north as Zebulun. But the people poked fun at them, treated them as a joke. But not all; some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to accept the invitation and come to Jerusalem. It was better in Judah—God worked powerfully among them to make it unanimous, responding to the orders sent out by the king and his officials, orders backed up by the word of God .

Job 30:1
"But no longer. Now I'm the butt of their jokes— young ruffians! whippersnappers! Why, I considered their fathers mere inexperienced pups. But they are worse than dogs—good for nothing, stray, mangy animals, Half-starved, scavenging the back alleys, howling at the moon; Homeless guttersnipes chewing on old bones and licking old tin cans; Outcasts from the community, cursed as dangerous delinquents. Nobody would put up with them; they were driven from the neighborhood. You could hear them out there at the edge of town, yelping and barking, huddled in junkyards, A gang of beggars and no-names, thrown out on their ears.

Psalms 22:6
And here I am, a nothing—an earthworm, something to step on, to squash. Everyone pokes fun at me; they make faces at me, they shake their heads: "Let's see how God handles this one; since God likes him so much, let him help him!"

Proverbs 20:11
Young people eventually reveal by their actions if their motives are on the up and up.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you,.... Which otherwise, the person not being found out, and brought to just punishment for it, would devolve upon the whole. Aben Ezra interprets it the punishment of innocent blood, which, by the above method being taken, would not be inflicted on them:

when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord; as it was to observe this law concerning the beheading of the heifer, with all the rites and ceremonies belonging to it here enjoined; as well as every other command, statute, and ordinance of the Lord, which are all right to be done, Psalms 19:8.