Deuteronomy 21:1–9

¹‘When one is found slain on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it—fallen in a field—it is not known who hath smitten him, ²then have thine elders and thy judges gone out and measured unto the cities which are round about the slain one, ³and it hath been, the city which is near unto the slain one, even the elders of that city have taken a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, which hath not drawn in the yoke, ⁴and the elders of that city have brought down the heifer unto a hard valley, which is not tilled nor sown, and have beheaded there the heifer in the valley.

⁵‘And the priests, sons of Levi, have come nigh—for on them hath Jehovah thy God fixed to serve Him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah, and by their mouth is every strife, and every stroke— ⁶and all the elders of that city, who are near unto the slain one, do wash their hands over the heifer which is beheaded in the valley, ⁷and they have answered and said, Our hands have not shed this blood, and our eyes have not seen— ⁸receive atonement for Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast ransomed, O Jehovah, and suffer not innocent blood in the midst of Thy people Israel; and the blood hath been pardoned to them, ⁹and thou dost put away the innocent blood out of thy midst, for thou dost that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.