CHAPTER XII.

DEUTERONOMY, xii.-xiv., xvi., xxiii., xxiv.

THE DEUTERONOMIC CODE-I.

RELATIONS TO GOD.

One Central Sanctuary-All Flesh-eating not Sacrifice-The Distinction-Pouring out the Blood-Blood Forbidden-Tithes, Firstlings, and Vows-To be Offered at Jerusalem-Duty toward Levites-Sacred Trees and Pillars Forbidden-Preaching other Gods-Secret Proselyting-Punished with Death-Worship of other Gods-Punished with Stoning-Witnesses Required-Sanctity of the Body-Not to be Disfigured-A Peculiar PeopleLascivious Rites Forbidden-Clean for Eating-Distinction of Hebrew and Alien-Leprosy.

Central Sanctuary-Ye shall destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye dispossess worshipped their gods, and break down their altars, and shatter their pillars (Mazzeboth); and their Asherim shall ye burn with fire; and the images of their gods shall ye hew down, and destroy their name out of that place. Ye shall not so worship Jehovah your God. But at the place which Jehovah your God chooseth out of all your tribes to put His name there, at His habitation shall ye enquire; and there ye shall eat sacrifice before Jehovah your God.

But thou mayest kill and eat flesh within all thy gates, as much as thou desirest. Both unclean and clean may

eat thereof, as is done with the gazelle, and the hart. But the blood ye shall not eat; thou shalt pour it out upon the ground like water.

Thou must not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain, or thy wine, or thine oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or thy flock, nor any vowed thing which thou vowest, nor thy free-will offerings, nor the heave-offering of thine hand; but before Jehovah thy God shalt thou eat them, in the place which Jehovah thy God chooseth, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy bondman, and thy bondwoman, and the Levite that is within thy gates. Take heed that thou forsake not the Levite as long thou livest upon thy land.

Images. Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah (any kind of tree) beside the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou makest thee. Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar (Mazzebah); which Jehovah thy God hateth.

False Worship.-If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and give thee a sign or a wonder (though the sign or the wonder which he told thee come to pass), saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou knowest not, and let us worship them; that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken apostasy from Jehovah your God.

If thine own brother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, who is as thyself, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and worship other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him. Thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And

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thou shalt stone him with stones that he die; because he hath sought to draw thee away from Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

If there be found among thee, within any of thy cities, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that doeth evil in the sight of Jehovah thy God, to transgress His covenant, going and serving other gods, and worshipping them, sun, or moon, or all the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; and it be told thee, and thou hearest it, and enquirest diligently, and, behold, it is certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel; then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, that have done this evil, unto thy gates, and stone them with stones, that they die.

At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall the criminal be put to death; he shall not be put to death at the mouth of one witness. The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.

Bodily Sanctity.-Ye are children of Jehovah your God. Ye shall not cut yourselves, nor shave the forepart of your heads for the dead. For thou art an holy

people unto Jehovah thy God, and Jehovah hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.

There shall be no consecrated prostitute among the daughters or the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of prostitution into the house of Jehovah thy God for any vow. For both these things are an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

Clean and Unclean.-Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

These are the beasts which ye may eat: every beast with parted hoof, or hoof cloven in two, that cheweth the cud, that ye may eat. But the camel, and the hare, and the coney, because they chew the cud but part not the hoof, are unclean unto you; and the swine, because he parteth the hoof but cheweth not the cud, is unclean unto you; of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcases ye shall not touch.

Of all that are in the waters, whatsoever hath fins and scales ye may eat; and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean unto you.

Of all clean birds ye may eat. But these are they of which ye shall not eat birds of prey, and eaters of carrion, and the stork, and the heron and its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. And all-winged creeping things are unclean unto you; ye shall not eat of them.

Ye shall not eat any thing that dieth of itself. To the stranger that is within thy gates thou mayest give it, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner. But thou art an holy people unto Jehovah thy God.

Thou shalt not cook a kid in its mother's milk.

Leprosy. Take heed in the plague of leprosy, to observe diligently, and do according to all that the Levitical priests shall teach you. As I commanded them so ye

shall observe to do.

CHAPTER XIII.

DEUTERONOMY, xiv., xv., xvii., xxiii., xxvi.

THE DEUTERONOMIC CODE-II.

VOWS AND TITHES.

Blemished Offerings Forbidden-Binding Nature of Vows-Vows not Obligatory-Tithes to be Eaten in Jerusalem-May be Changed for Money-Triennial Tithe-To be Eaten at HomeCharity to Poor and Levites-Formula of Dedication-Firstfruits-To be Offered at Jerusalem-Formula of ConsecrationFirstlings-To be Eaten as Peace Offerings-Blemished Firstlings -To be Eaten at Home.

Offerings.-Thou shalt not sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God ox, or sheep, wherein is any blemish; for that is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God.

Vows. When thou vowest a vow to Jehovah thy God, thou shalt not delay to pay it; for Jehovah thy God will surely require it of thee, and evil shall befall thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt observe and do ; according as thou hast vowed unto Jehovah thy God of thine own free will. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

Tithes-Thou shalt tithe all the increase of thy seed, which the field produceth year by year. And thou shalt eat in sacrifice before Jehovah thy God, in the place where He chooseth to cause His name to dwell, the tithe of thy grain, thy wine, and thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock. And if thou canst not carry