CHAPTER XV.

DEUTERONOMY xv., xvii., xix., xxi., xxiv., xxv

THE DEUTERONOMIC CODE.-IV.

JUSTICE.

Local Courts Gifts Forbidden-Court of Appeal at Jerusalem Temple-Its Decisions Final-Witnesses-One Witness Insufficient-False Witness-Jus Talionis for Witnesses---Punishment by Beating-Forty Stripes-Cities of Refuge—Accidental Killing -Wilful Murder-Redeemer of Blood-Death at Unknown Hands-The Nearest City-Duty of Priests-Oath of EldersKilling the Heifer—Crucifixion or Impalement—Individual Responsibility-Wresting Judgment-Widow's Raiment.

Judges.-Judges and officers shalt thou appoint in all thy cities, according to thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons; and thou shall not take a gift; for a gift blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the cause of the righteous.

Court of Appeal.-If there arise a matter too hard for thee to judge, whether of life, whether of property, whether of injury, matters of suit in thy city; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which Jehovah thy God chooseth; and thou shalt come unto the Levitical priests, and unto him that is judge at that time; and thou shalt enquire; and they shall declare unto thee the decision; and thou shalt do according to that which they declare unto thee from that place which Jehovah

chooseth; according to the law which they teach thee, and to the judgment which they tell thee, thou shalt do. And the man that doeth presumptuously, in not hearkening unto the priest that standeth to minister there before Jehovah thy God, or unto the judge, that man shall die.

Witnesses.-One witness shall not be accepted against a man for any iniquity, or for any crime; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a thing be established. If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing; then the two men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days; and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; then shall ye do to him as he had thought to do unto his brother. And thine eye shall not pity; life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Beating. If there be a suit between men, and they come to judgment, and the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face a fixed number, according to his misdeed. Forty stripes he may give him, and no more; lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should become vile unto thee.

Cities of Refuge.-Thou shalt divide thy land into three parts, and three cities shalt thou set apart within thy land for the manslayer, that he may flee thither and live. Whoso killeth his neighbor without intention, not having hated him in time past (as when one goeth into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a

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stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and hitteth his neighbor, and he die), shall flee unto one of these cities and live; lest the redeemer of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart. is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally.

And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as He sware unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy fathers; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three.

But if a man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and he flee into one of these cities; then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, that he may die.

Death at Unknown Hands.—If one be found slain, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath smitten him; then thy elders and thy judges shall go forth, and measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain. And the elders of that city which is nearest unto the slain shall take an heifer, with which no work hath been done, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; and the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. And the priests the sons of Levi shall be present; and all the elders of the city nearest to the slain shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; and they shall answer and say: Our hands shed not this blood, and our eyes saw it not. Forgive Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed, Jehovah, and put not innocent blood on Thy land. So shall the blood be forgiven them.

Crucifixion. If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree; his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt bury him the same day (for he that is hanged is accursed of God); that thou defile not thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheri

tance.

Fathers and Sons.-Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons for fathers; each shall be put to death for his own sin.

The Needy.-Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the stranger, and fatherless; nor take the widow's raiment to pledge.

CHAPTER XVI.

DEUTERONOMY, xvii., xviii., xx., xxi.

THE DEUTERONOMIC CODE-V.

KINGS, PRIESTS, AND PROPHETS.

Kings-Must be Natives-Luxury Forbidden-A Copy of the Law -Priests-The Whole Tribe of Levi are Priests-Dues of the Priests-Rights of Alien Levites in Jerusalem Temple-Prophets -Witchcraft Forbidden-God's Will Revealed by Prophets-Test of True Prophets-Law of War-Duty of the Priest-A Surrendered City-A Captured City-Destruction of Food-Trees Forbidden-Captive Women Taken as Wives-Wives Not Slaves.

Kings. One of thy brethren shalt thou make king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother. He shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, that he may multiply horses. Neither shall he multiply wives, that his heart be not perverted. Neither shall he multiply silver and gold exceedingly. And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write in a book a copy of this law, out of that of the Levitical priests; and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them; that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.