^17:2Suppose 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 ^17:3by serving other gods and worshiping them—the sun,⁵ moon, or any other heavenly bodies which I have not permitted you to worship.⁶^17:4When 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, ^17:5you 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.⁹^17:6At the testimony of two or three witnesses they must be executed. They cannot be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. ^17:7The 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.

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Footnotes

3 Heb “gates.”
4 Heb “does the evil in the eyes of the Lord your God.”
5 The 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 Heb “which I have not commanded you.” The words “to worship” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
7 Heb “an abomination” (תּוֹעֵבָה); see note on the word “offensive” in v. .
8 Heb “gates.”
9 Heb “stone them with stones so that they die” ( similar); “throw stones at that person until he dies.”
10 Heb “the hand of the witnesses.” This means the two or three witnesses are to throw the first stones (cf. , , , ).
11 Heb “the hand of all the people.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant, and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky, and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that the Lord your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violating his covenant and has gone to serve other gods by bowing in worship to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky—which I have forbidden—and if you are told or hear about it, then investigate it thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done in Israel, you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death. The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness. The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you.

NLTNew Living Translation

“When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violate the covenant. For instance, they might serve other gods or worship the sun, the moon, or any of the stars—the forces of heaven—which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then the man or woman who has committed such an evil act must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. But never put a person to death on the testimony of only one witness. There must always be two or three witnesses. The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

If there is found in one of your towns that Yahweh your God is giving to you a man or a woman that does evil in the eyes of Yahweh your God to transgress his covenant and by going and serving other gods and so he bows down to them and to the sun or to the moon or to any of the host of heaven which I have forbidden, and it is reported to you or you hear about it and you enquire about it thoroughly and, indeed, the trustworthiness of the deed has been established, it has occurred, this detestable thing, in Israel, then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil thing to your gates; that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them with stones to death. On the evidence of two or three witnesses the person shall be put to death. The person shall not be put to death by the mouth of one witness. The hand of the witnesses shall be first against the person to kill the person, and afterward the hands of all the people, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.

KJV 1900King James Version

If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

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