Liber Deuteronomii, 17

1. Non immolabis Domino Deo tuo ovem et bovem, in quo est macula aut quippiam vitii, quia abominatio est Domino Deo tuo.

1. "You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever; for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.

2. Cum reperti fuerint apud te intra unam portarum tuarum, quas Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi, vir aut mulier, qui faciant, quod malum est in conspectu Domini Dei tui, et transgrediantur pactum illius,

2. "If there is found among you, within any of your towns which the LORD your God gives you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant,

3. ut vadant et serviant diis alienis et adorent eos, solem vel lunam vel omnem militiam caeli, quae non praecepi,

3. 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,

4. et hoc tibi fuerit nuntiatum, audiensque inquisieris diligenter et verum esse reppereris, et abominatio haec facta est in Israel,

4. 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 abominable thing has been done in Israel,

5. educes virum vel mulierem, qui hanc rem sceleratissimam perpetrarunt, ad portas civitatis tuae, et lapidibus obruentur.

5. then you shall bring forth 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.

6. In ore duorum aut trium testium peribit, qui interficietur; nemo occidatur uno contra se dicente testimonium.

6. On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses he that is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.

7. Manus testium prima erit ad interficiendum eum, et manus reliqui populi extrema mittetur, ut auferas malum de medio tui.

7. 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 the midst of you.

8. Si intra portas tuas in litibus difficile et ambiguum apud te iudicium esse perspexeris inter sanguinem et sanguinem, causam et causam, plagam et plagam, surge et ascende ad locum, quem elegerit Dominus Deus tuus,

8. "If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns which is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God will choose,

9. veniesque ad sacerdotes levitici generis et ad iudicem, qui fuerit illo tempore; quaeresque ab eis, qui indicabunt tibi iudicii sententiam.

9. and coming to the Levitical priests, and to the judge who is in office in those days, you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.

10. Et facies quodcumque dixerint tibi de loco, quem elegerit Dominus, et observabis, ut facias omnia quae docuerint te

10. Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place which the LORD will choose; and you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you;

11. iuxta mandatum, quod mandaverunt, et iuxta sententiam, quam dixerint tibi. Nec declinabis ad dexteram vel ad sinistram.

11. according to the instructions which they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the verdict which they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left.

12. Qui autem superbierit nolens oboedire sacerdotis imperio, qui eo tempore ministrat Domino Deo tuo, aut decreto iudicis, morietur homo ille, et auferes malum de Israel;

12. The man who acts presumptuously, by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die; so you shall purge the evil from Israel.

13. cunctusque populus audiens timebit, ut nullus deinceps intumescat superbia.

13. And all the people shall hear, and fear, and not act presumptuously again.

14. Cum ingressus fueris terram, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi, et possederis eam habitaverisque in illa et dixeris: “Constituam super me regem, sicut habent omnes per circuitum nationes”,

14. "When you come to the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and dwell in it, and then say, `I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me';

15. eum constitues super te regem, quem Dominus Deus tuus elegerit de numero fratrum tuorum. Non poteris alterius gentis hominem regem facere, qui non sit frater tuus.

15. you may indeed set as king over you him whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

16. Tantummodo non multiplicabit sibi equos nec reducet populum in Aegyptum, ut equitatus numerum augeat, praesertim cum Dominus praeceperit vobis, ut nequaquam amplius per hanc viam revertamini.

16. Only he must not multiply horses for himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, `You shall never return that way again.'

17. Neque habebit uxores plurimas, ne declinet cor eius, neque argenti et auri immensa pondera.

17. And he shall not multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply for himself silver and gold.

18. Postquam autem sederit in solio regni sui, describet sibi exemplar legis huius in volumine accipiens illam a sacerdotibus leviticae tribus;

18. "And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, from that which is in the charge of the Levitical priests;

19. et habebit secum legetque illud omnibus diebus vitae suae, ut discat timere Dominum Deum suum. et custodire verba legis huius et praecepta ista et quae in lege praecepta sunt.

19. and it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them;

20. Nec elevetur cor eius in superbiam super fratres suos neque declinet a mandatis in partem dexteram vel sinistram, ut longo tempore regnet ipse et filii eius in medio Israel.

20. that his heart may not be lifted up above his brethren, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left; so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.