Deuteronomy 22:13–21

Purity in the Marriage Relationship

22:13 Suppose a man marries a woman, has sexual relations with her,25 and then rejects26 her, 22:14 accusing her of impropriety27 and defaming her reputation28 by saying, “I married this woman but when I had sexual relations29 with her I discovered she was not a virgin!” 22:15 Then the father and mother of the young woman must produce the evidence of virginity30 for the elders of the city at the gate. 22:16 The young woman’s father must say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man and he has rejected31 her. 22:17 Moreover, he has raised accusations of impropriety by saying, ‘I discovered your daughter was not a virgin,’ but this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity!” The cloth must then be spread out32 before the city’s elders. 22:18 The elders of that city must then seize the man and punish33 him. 22:19 They will fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, for the man who made the accusation34 ruined the reputation35 of an Israelite virgin. She will then become his wife and he may never divorce her as long as he lives.

22:20 But if the accusation is true and the young woman was not a virgin, 22:21 the men of her city must bring the young woman to the door of her father’s house and stone her to death, for she has done a disgraceful thing36 in Israel by behaving like a prostitute while living in her father’s house. In this way you will purge37 evil from among you.