Provision for Kingship

17:14 When you come to the land the Lord your God is giving you and take it over and live in it and then say, “I will select a king like all the nations surrounding me,” 17:15 you must select without fail18 a king whom the Lord your God chooses. From among your fellow citizens19 you must appoint a king—you may not designate a foreigner who is not one of your fellow Israelites.20 17:16 Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so,21 for the Lord has said you must never again return that way. 17:17 Furthermore, he must not marry many22 wives lest his affections turn aside, and he must not accumulate much silver and gold. 17:18 When he sits on his royal throne he must make a copy of this law23 on a scroll24 given to him by the Levitical priests. 17:19 It must be with him constantly and he must read it as long as he lives, so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and observe all the words of this law and these statutes and carry them out. 17:20 Then he will not exalt himself above his fellow citizens or turn from the commandments to the right or left, and he and his descendants will enjoy many years ruling over his kingdom25 in Israel.