Deuteronomy 21:6-9

21:6 and all the elders of that city nearest the corpse ¹  must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. ²  21:7 Then they must proclaim, “Our hands have not spilled this blood, nor have we ³  witnessed the crime. ⁴  21:8 Do not blame ⁵  your people Israel whom you redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold them accountable for the bloodshed of an innocent person.” ⁶  Then atonement will be made for the bloodshed. 21:9 In this manner you will purge out the guilt of innocent blood from among you, for you must do what is right before ⁷  the Lord.

[21:6]  ¹ tn Heb “slain [one].”

[21:6]  ² tn Heb “wadi,” a seasonal watercourse through a valley.

[21:7]  ³ tn Heb “our eyes.” This is a figure of speech known as synecdoche in which the part (the eyes) is put for the whole (the entire person).

[21:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “seen”; the implied object (the crime committed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “Atone for.”

[21:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “and do not place innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.”

[21:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “in the eyes of” (so ASV, NASB, NIV).