Deuteronomy 17:2–7

17:2 Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you—in one of your villages3 that the Lord your God is giving you—who sins before the Lord your God4 and breaks his covenant 17:3 by serving other gods and worshiping them—the sun,5 moon, or any other heavenly bodies which I have not permitted you to worship.6 17:4 When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing7 is being done in Israel, 17:5 you must bring to your city gates8 that man or woman who has done this wicked thing—that very man or woman—and you must stone that person to death.9 17:6 At the testimony of two or three witnesses they must be executed. They cannot be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 17:7 The witnesses10 must be first to begin the execution, and then all the people11 are to join in afterward. In this way you will purge evil from among you.

3	tn Heb “gates.”
4	tn Heb “does the evil in the eyes of the Lord your God.”
5	tc The MT reads “and to the sun,” thus including the sun, the moon, and other heavenly spheres among the gods. However, Theodotion and Lucian read “or to the sun,” suggesting perhaps that the sun and the other heavenly bodies are not in the category of actual deities.
6	tn Heb “which I have not commanded you.” The words “to worship” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
7	tn Heb “an abomination” (תּוֹעֵבָה); see note on the word “offensive” in v. 1.
8	tn Heb “gates.”
9	tn Heb “stone them with stones so that they die” (KJV similar); NCV “throw stones at that person until he dies.”
10	tn Heb “the hand of the witnesses.” This means the two or three witnesses are to throw the first stones (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
11	tn Heb “the hand of all the people.”