Deuteronomy 25:1-3

25:1 If controversy arises between people, ¹  they should go to court for judgment. When the judges ²  hear the case, they shall exonerate ³  the innocent but condemn ⁴  the guilty. 25:2 Then, ⁵  if the guilty person is sentenced to a beating, ⁶  the judge shall force him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of blows his wicked behavior deserves. ⁷  25:3 The judge ⁸  may sentence him to forty blows, ⁹  but no more. If he is struck with more than these, you might view your fellow Israelite ¹⁰  with contempt.

[25:1]  ¹ tn Heb “men.”

[25:1]  ² tn Heb “they”; the referent (the judges) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:1]  ³ tn Heb “declare to be just”; KJV, NASB “justify the righteous”; NAB, NIV “acquitting the innocent.”

[25:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “declare to be evil”; NIV “condemning the guilty (+ party NAB).”

[25:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[25:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “if the evil one is a son of smiting.”

[25:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to his wickedness, by number.”

[25:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the judge) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Forty blows he may strike him”; however, since the judge is to witness the punishment (v. 2) it is unlikely the judge himself administered it.

[25:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your brothers” but not limited only to an actual sibling; cf. NAB) “your kinsman”; NRSV, NLT “your neighbor.”