If they have any kind of blemish – lameness, blindness, or anything else – you may not offer them as a sacrifice to the Lord your God.

You must not sacrifice to him a bull or sheep that has a blemish or any other defect, because that is considered offensive to the Lord your God.

You will go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office in those days and seek a solution; they will render a verdict.

If the Lord your God enlarges your borders as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land he pledged to them,

You must not shed innocent blood in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty.

However, suppose a person hates someone else and stalks him, attacks him, kills him, and then flees to one of these cities.

then both parties to the controversy must stand before the Lord, that is, before the priests and judges who will be in office in those days.

so that they cannot teach you all the abhorrent ways they worship their gods, causing you to sin against the Lord your God.

Suppose a man comes across a virgin who is not engaged and overpowers and rapes her and they are discovered.

You must not oppress a lowly and poor servant, whether one from among your fellow Israelites or from the resident foreigners who are living in your land and villages.

The judge may sentence him to forty blows, but no more. If he is struck with more than these, you might view your fellow Israelite with contempt.

Then the first son she bears will continue the name of the dead brother, thus preventing his name from being blotted out of Israel.

‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his father’s former wife, for he dishonors his father.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

The man among you who is by nature tender and sensitive will turn against his brother, his beloved wife, and his remaining children.

You have eaten no bread and drunk no wine or beer – all so that you might know that I am the Lord your God!

The Lord will single him out for judgment from all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant written in this scroll of the law.

I declare to you this very day that you will certainly perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Now write down for yourselves the following song and teach it to the Israelites. Put it into their very mouths so that this song may serve as my witness against the Israelites!

Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words.

Of Gad he said: Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad. Like a lioness he will dwell; he will tear at an arm – indeed, a scalp.