Study Desk

You must offer it only at the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt.

This is a time to celebrate before the Lord your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you.

"The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.'

The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord . And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.

This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

"Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the Lord chooses for worship.

He may minister there in the name of the Lord his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the Lord there.

He may eat his share of the sacrifices and offerings, even if he also receives support from his family.

I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.

If the prophet speaks in the Lord 's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.

you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the Lord your God and walk in his ways.)

The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite,

When the man divides his inheritance, he may not give the larger inheritance to his younger son, the son of the wife he loves, as if he were the firstborn son.

He must recognize the rights of his oldest son, the son of the wife he does not love, by giving him a double portion. He is the first son of his father's virility, and the rights of the firstborn belong to him.

"Suppose a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, even though they discipline him.

Then all the men of his town must stone him to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid.

Her father must say to them, ‘I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife, and now he has turned against her.

"A man must not marry his father's former wife, for this would violate his father.

"If a man's testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord .