Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Evidence » Laws concerning
He said to Jesus, “Which commandments?” And Jesus answered, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony;
‘If anyone sins after he hears a public adjuration (solemn command to testify) when he is a witness, whether he has seen or [otherwise] known [something]—if he fails to report it, then he will bear his guilt and be held responsible.
“Bring the one who has cursed [the Lord] outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head [as witnesses to his guilt]; then let all the congregation stone him.
‘If anyone kills a person [intentionally], the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of [two or more] witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of [only] one witness.
Anyone who has ignored and set aside the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Do not be a witness against your
And do not deceive with your lips [speak neither lies nor half-truths].
“You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).
“You shall not give a false report; you shall not join hands with the wicked to be a malicious witness [promoting wrong and violence].
Keep far away from a false charge or action, and do not condemn to death the innocent or the righteous, for I will not justify and acquit the guilty.
On the evidence of two or three witnesses he who is worthy of death shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
One witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or any wrong in connection with any sin he commits; only on the testimony of two or three witnesses shall a charge be established. If a false witness rises up against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing, Then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. read more.
The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Priest » Duties of » To act as magistrates
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall approach, for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the Name (Presence) of the Lord; and every dispute and every assault (violent crime) shall be settled by them.
If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment -- "between one kind of bloodshed and another, between one legality and another, between one kind of assault and another, matters of controversy within your towns -- "then arise and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them and they shall make clear to you the decision. And you shall do according to the decision which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses; and you shall be watchful to do according to all that they tell you; read more.
According to the decision of the law which they shall teach you and the judgment which they shall announce to you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the verdict they give you, either to the right hand or the left. The man who does presumptuously and will not listen to the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God or to the judge, that man shall die; so you shall purge the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear and [reverently] fear, and not act presumptuously again.
According to the decision of the law which they shall teach you and the judgment which they shall announce to you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the verdict they give you, either to the right hand or the left. The man who does presumptuously and will not listen to the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God or to the judge, that man shall die; so you shall purge the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear and [reverently] fear, and not act presumptuously again.
In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests, and heads of the fathers’ households of Israel to render the judgment of the Lord and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The priests shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the common or profane, and cause them to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. And in a controversy they shall act as judges, and they shall judge according to My judgments; and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts, and they shall keep My Sabbaths holy.
And if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife who has defiled herself -- "or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife though she has not defiled herself -- " Then shall the man bring his wife to the priest, and he shall bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal; but he shall pour no oil upon it nor put frankincense on it [symbols of favor and joy], for it is a cereal offering of jealousy and suspicion, a memorial offering bringing iniquity to remembrance. And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord. read more.
And the priest shall take holy water [probably from the sacred laver] in an earthen vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water. And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and let the hair of the woman's head hang loose, and put the meal offering of remembrance in her hands, which is the jealousy and suspicion offering. And the priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings the curse. Then the priest shall make her take an oath, and say to the woman, If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness with another instead of your husband, then be free from any effect of this water of bitterness which brings the curse. But if you have gone astray and you are defiled, some man having lain with you beside your husband, Then the priest shall make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman, The Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. May this water that brings the curse go into your bowels and make your body swell and your thigh fall away. And the woman shall say, So let it be, so let it be. The priest shall then write these curses in a book and shall wash them off into the water of bitterness; And he shall cause the woman to drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her [to try her] bitterly. Then the priest shall take the cereal offering of jealousy and suspicion out of the woman's hand and shall wave the offering before the Lord and offer it upon the altar. And the priest shall take a handful of the cereal offering as the memorial portion of it and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water. And when he has made her drink the water, then if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, the curse water which she drank shall be bitterness and cause her body to swell and her thigh to fall away, and the woman shall be a curse among her people. But if the woman is not defiled and is clean, then she shall be free [from the curse] and be able to have children. This is the law of jealousy and suspicion when a wife goes aside to another instead of her husband and is defiled, Or when the spirit of jealousy and suspicion comes upon a man and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife; then shall he set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute on her all this law. The [husband] shall be free from iniquity and guilt, and that woman [if guilty] shall bear her iniquity.
And the priest shall take holy water [probably from the sacred laver] in an earthen vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water. And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and let the hair of the woman's head hang loose, and put the meal offering of remembrance in her hands, which is the jealousy and suspicion offering. And the priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings the curse. Then the priest shall make her take an oath, and say to the woman, If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness with another instead of your husband, then be free from any effect of this water of bitterness which brings the curse. But if you have gone astray and you are defiled, some man having lain with you beside your husband, Then the priest shall make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman, The Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. May this water that brings the curse go into your bowels and make your body swell and your thigh fall away. And the woman shall say, So let it be, so let it be. The priest shall then write these curses in a book and shall wash them off into the water of bitterness; And he shall cause the woman to drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her [to try her] bitterly. Then the priest shall take the cereal offering of jealousy and suspicion out of the woman's hand and shall wave the offering before the Lord and offer it upon the altar. And the priest shall take a handful of the cereal offering as the memorial portion of it and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water. And when he has made her drink the water, then if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, the curse water which she drank shall be bitterness and cause her body to swell and her thigh to fall away, and the woman shall be a curse among her people. But if the woman is not defiled and is clean, then she shall be free [from the curse] and be able to have children. This is the law of jealousy and suspicion when a wife goes aside to another instead of her husband and is defiled, Or when the spirit of jealousy and suspicion comes upon a man and he is jealous and suspicious of his wife; then shall he set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute on her all this law. The [husband] shall be free from iniquity and guilt, and that woman [if guilty] shall bear her iniquity.
then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office at that time.
Recompense/restitution » The eye for an eye law
One witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or any wrong in connection with any sin he commits; only on the testimony of two or three witnesses shall a charge be established. If a false witness rises up against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing, Then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. read more.
The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
If men quarrel and one strikes another with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but keeps his bed, If he rises again and walks about leaning upon his staff, then he that struck him shall be clear, except he must pay for the loss of his time and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. And if a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod and he [or she] dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. read more.
But if the servant lives on for a day or two, the offender shall not be punished, for he [has injured] his own property. If men contend with each other, and a pregnant woman [interfering] is hurt so that she has a miscarriage, yet no further damage follows, [the one who hurt her] shall surely be punished with a fine [paid] to the woman's husband, as much as the judges determine. But if any damage follows, then you shall give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burn for burn, wound for wound, and lash for lash. And if a man hits the eye of his servant or the eye of his maid so that it is destroyed, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. And if he knocks out his manservant's tooth or his maidservant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
But if the servant lives on for a day or two, the offender shall not be punished, for he [has injured] his own property. If men contend with each other, and a pregnant woman [interfering] is hurt so that she has a miscarriage, yet no further damage follows, [the one who hurt her] shall surely be punished with a fine [paid] to the woman's husband, as much as the judges determine. But if any damage follows, then you shall give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burn for burn, wound for wound, and lash for lash. And if a man hits the eye of his servant or the eye of his maid so that it is destroyed, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. And if he knocks out his manservant's tooth or his maidservant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
If a man steals an ox or sheep and kills or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no blood shed for him. But if the sun has risen [so he can be seen], blood must be shed for slaying him. The thief [if he lives] must make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. read more.
If the beast which he stole is found in his possession alive, whether it is ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double. If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution of the best of his own field or his own vineyard. If fire breaks out and catches so that the stacked grain or standing grain or the field be consumed, he who kindled the fire shall make full restitution. If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep and it is stolen out of the neighbor's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. But if the thief is not found, the house owner shall appear before God [the judges as His agents] to find whether he stole his neighbor's goods. For every unlawful deed, whether it concerns ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any lost thing at all, which another identifies as his, the cause of both parties shall come before God [the judges]. Whomever [they] shall condemn shall pay his neighbor double. If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep and it dies or is hurt or driven away, no man seeing it, Then an oath before the Lord shall be required between the two that the man has not taken his neighbor's property; and the owner of it shall accept his word and not require him to make good the loss. But if it is stolen when in his care, he shall make restitution to its owner. If it be torn in pieces [by some wild beast or by accident], let him bring [the mangled carcass] for witness; he shall not make good what was torn. And if a man borrows anything of his neighbor and it gets hurt or dies without its owner being with it, the borrower shall make full restitution. But if the owner is with it [when the damage is done], the borrower shall not make it good. If it is a hired thing, the damage is included in its hire.
If the beast which he stole is found in his possession alive, whether it is ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double. If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution of the best of his own field or his own vineyard. If fire breaks out and catches so that the stacked grain or standing grain or the field be consumed, he who kindled the fire shall make full restitution. If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep and it is stolen out of the neighbor's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. But if the thief is not found, the house owner shall appear before God [the judges as His agents] to find whether he stole his neighbor's goods. For every unlawful deed, whether it concerns ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or any lost thing at all, which another identifies as his, the cause of both parties shall come before God [the judges]. Whomever [they] shall condemn shall pay his neighbor double. If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep and it dies or is hurt or driven away, no man seeing it, Then an oath before the Lord shall be required between the two that the man has not taken his neighbor's property; and the owner of it shall accept his word and not require him to make good the loss. But if it is stolen when in his care, he shall make restitution to its owner. If it be torn in pieces [by some wild beast or by accident], let him bring [the mangled carcass] for witness; he shall not make good what was torn. And if a man borrows anything of his neighbor and it gets hurt or dies without its owner being with it, the borrower shall make full restitution. But if the owner is with it [when the damage is done], the borrower shall not make it good. If it is a hired thing, the damage is included in its hire.
And he who kills a beast shall make it good, beast for beast. And if a man causes a blemish or disfigurement on his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done: Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused a blemish or disfigurement on a man, so shall it be done to him. read more.
He who kills a beast shall replace it; he who kills a man shall be put to death.
He who kills a beast shall replace it; he who kills a man shall be put to death.
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the Israelites, When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is guilty, Then he shall confess the sin which he has committed, and he shall make restitution for his wrong in full, and add a fifth to it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. read more.
But if the man [wronged] has no kinsman to whom the restitution may be made, let it be given to the Lord for the priest, besides the ram of atonement with which atonement shall be made for the offender.
But if the man [wronged] has no kinsman to whom the restitution may be made, let it be given to the Lord for the priest, besides the ram of atonement with which atonement shall be made for the offender.
Slander » Punishment for
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will silence;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud (arrogant) heart I will not tolerate.
If a false witness rises up against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing, Then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, read more.
Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Witness » The necessity of more than one witness for anything to be established
This is the third time that I am visiting you. Every fact shall be sustained and confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
‘If anyone kills a person [intentionally], the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of [two or more] witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of [only] one witness.
Anyone who has ignored and set aside the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
One witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or any wrong in connection with any sin he commits; only on the testimony of two or three witnesses shall a charge be established. If a false witness rises up against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing, Then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. read more.
The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and [reverently] fear, and shall henceforth commit no such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Whereupon the Pharisees told Him, You are testifying on Your own behalf; Your testimony is not valid and is worthless. Jesus answered, Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is true and reliable and valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You [set yourselves up to] judge according to the flesh (by what you see). [You condemn by external, human standards.] I do not [set Myself up to] judge or condemn or sentence anyone. read more.
Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true [My decision is right]; for I am not alone [in making it], but [there are two of Us] I and the Father, Who sent Me. In your [own] Law it is written that the testimony (evidence) of two persons is reliable and valid. I am One [of the Two] bearing testimony concerning Myself; and My Father, Who sent Me, He also testifies about Me. Then they said to Him, Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.
Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true [My decision is right]; for I am not alone [in making it], but [there are two of Us] I and the Father, Who sent Me. In your [own] Law it is written that the testimony (evidence) of two persons is reliable and valid. I am One [of the Two] bearing testimony concerning Myself; and My Father, Who sent Me, He also testifies about Me. Then they said to Him, Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.