Instead, you must kill him without fail!<n id="1" /> Your own hand must be the first to strike him,<n id="2" /> and then the hands of the whole community.

if you carefully obey<n id="1" /> him<n id="2" /> by keeping<n id="3" /> all these commandments that I am giving<n id="4" /> you today.

<t /><p class="bodytext">You must set apart<n id="1" /> for the <sc>Lordsc> your God every firstborn male born to your herds and flocks. You must not work the firstborn of your bulls or shear the firstborn of your flocks.

If they have any kind of blemish &#8211; lameness, blindness, or anything else<n id="1" /> &#8211; you may not offer them as a sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc> your God.

<t /><p class="bodytext">You must not plant any kind of tree as a sacred Asherah pole<n id="1" /> near the altar of the <sc>Lordsc> your God which you build for yourself.

You must not sacrifice to him<n id="1" /> a bull or sheep that has a blemish or any other defect, because that is considered offensive<n id="2" /> to the <sc>Lordsc> your God.

The witnesses<n id="1" /> must be first to begin the execution, and then all the people<n id="2" /> are to join in afterward. In this way you will purge evil from among you.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The Levitical priests<n id="1" /> &#8211; indeed, the entire tribe of Levi &#8211; will have no allotment or inheritance with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings of the <sc>Lordsc> and of his inheritance.<n id="2" />

For the <sc>Lordsc> your God has chosen them and their sons from all your tribes to stand<n id="1" /> and serve in his name<n id="2" /> permanently.

Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the <sc>Lordsc> and because of these detestable things<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God is about to drive them out<n id="2" /> from before you.

I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command.

You shall build a roadway and divide into thirds the whole extent<n id="1" /> of your land that the <sc>Lordsc> your God is providing as your inheritance; anyone who kills another person should flee to the closest of these cities.

If the <sc>Lordsc> your God enlarges your borders as he promised your ancestors<n id="1" /> and gives you all the land he pledged to them,<n id="2" />

If it accepts your terms<n id="1" /> and submits to you, all the people found in it will become your slaves.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">As for the cities of these peoples that<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God is going to give you as an inheritance, you must not allow a single living thing<n id="2" /> to survive.

Then all the men of his city must stone him to death. In this way you will purge out<n id="1" /> wickedness from among you, and all Israel<n id="2" /> will hear about it and be afraid.p>

<p class="bodytext">A woman must not wear men&#8217;s clothing,<n id="1" /> nor should a man dress up in women&#8217;s clothing, for anyone who does this is offensive<n id="2" /> to the <sc>Lordsc> your God.p>

how they met you along the way and cut off all your stragglers in the rear of the march when you were exhausted and tired; they were unafraid of God.<n id="1" />

And today the <sc>Lordsc> has declared you to be his special people (as he already promised you) so you may keep all his commandments.

Then<n id="1" /> he will elevate you above all the nations he has made and you will receive praise, fame, and honor.<n id="2" /> You will<n id="3" /> be a people holy to the <sc>Lordsc> your God, as he has said.p>