Deuteronomy 21:5 cpdv — And the priests the sons of Levi shall approach, those whom the Lord your God has chosen to minister to him, and to ble…

Catholic Public Domain Version

"And the priests the sons of Levi shall approach, those whom the Lord your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and to decide every controversy by their word, and to judge which things are clean and which are unclean. "

— Deuteronomy 21:5, Catholic Public Domain Version

Read in Another Translation

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Deuteronomy 21:5 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:”

  • ASV

    “And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be. ”

  • WEB

    “The priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in the name of Yahweh; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.”

  • NET

    “Then the Levitical priests will approach(for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve him and to pronounce blessings in his name, and to decide every judicial verdict)”

  • DRB

    “And the priests the sons of Levi shall come, whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and that by their word every matter should be decided, and whatsoever is clean or unclean should be judged.”

  • BBE

    “Then the priests, the sons of Levi, are to come near; for they have been marked out by the Lord your God to be his servants and to give blessings in the name of the Lord; and by their decision every argument and every blow is to be judged:”

  • KJVA

    “And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:”

Deuteronomy 21 — Context

2

your judges and those greater by birth shall go out and measure, from the place of the corpse, the distance to each of the surrounding cities.

3

And in whichever one they perceive to be closer than the others, the elders shall take a calf from the herd, one which has not pulled with a yoke, nor tilled with a plow.

4

And they shall lead it into a rough and stony valley, one which has never been tilled or sown. And in that place, they shall cut the neck of the calf.

5

And the priests the sons of Levi shall approach, those whom the Lord your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and to decide every controversy by their word, and to judge which things are clean and which are unclean.

6

And those greater by birth of that city, nearest to the one who was slain, shall go and shall wash their hands over the calf that was killed in the valley.

7

And they shall say: ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.

8

Be merciful to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not charge them with innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.’ And so the guilt of the blood will be taken away from them.

Deuteronomy 21:5 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Deuteronomy 21:5 say?
Deuteronomy 21:5 in the Catholic Public Domain Version reads: “And the priests the sons of Levi shall approach, those whom the Lord your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and to decide every controversy by their word, and to judge which things are clean and which are unclean. ”
Where is Deuteronomy 21:5 in the Bible?
Deuteronomy 21:5 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 21, verse 5.
Who wrote Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). Largely framed as Moses' farewell speeches; the closing chapter narrating his death was likely added by Joshua or a later editor. It was written c. 1406 BC.
What is the book of Deuteronomy about?
Deuteronomy is Moses' final sermons to Israel before they enter the Promised Land — a renewed call to love and obey the LORD. It re-states the Law, rehearses Israel's history, and lays before the people blessing for obedience and curse for rebellion.
What are the major themes of Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy explores themes including Covenant, Love, Obedience, Remembrance, Blessing & Curse. These themes shape the meaning and context of Deuteronomy 21:5.
What translation should I read Deuteronomy 21:5 in?
Deuteronomy 21:5 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Deuteronomy 21:5?
Deuteronomy 21:5 reads (CPDV): “And the priests the sons of Levi shall approach, those whom the Lord your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and to decide every controversy by their word, and to judge which things are clean and which are unclean. ” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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