A Case of Blaspheming the Name

24:10 Now19 an Israelite woman’s son whose father was an Egyptian went out among the Israelites, and the Israelite woman’s son and an Israelite man20 had a fight in the camp. 24:11 The Israelite woman’s son misused the Name and cursed,21 so they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 24:12 So they placed him in custody until they were able22 to make a clear legal decision for themselves based on words from the mouth of the Lord.23

24:13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 24:14 “Bring the one who cursed outside the camp, and all who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the whole congregation is to stone him to death.24 24:15 Moreover,25 you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If any man curses his God26 he will bear responsibility for his sin, 24:16 and one who misuses27 the name of the Lord must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must surely stone him, whether he is a foreigner or a native citizen; when he misuses the Name he must be put to death.

24:17 “ ‘If a man beats any person to death,28 he must be put to death. 24:18 One who beats an animal to death29 must make restitution for it, life for life.30 24:19 If a man inflicts an injury on31 his fellow citizen,32 just as he has done it must be done to him—24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth—just as he inflicts an injury on another person33 that same injury34 must be inflicted on him. 24:21 One who beats an animal to death35 must make restitution for it, but36 one who beats a person to death must be put to death. 24:22 There will be one regulation37 for you, whether a foreigner or a native citizen, for I am the Lord your God.’ ”

24:23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites and they brought the one who cursed outside the camp and stoned him with stones. So the Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.