Atonement for Unsolved Murders

Deuteronomy 21

1 "If anyone is found slain, lying in the field in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, 2 "then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance from the slain man to the surrounding cities. 3 "And it shall be that the elders of the city nearest to the slain man will take a heifer which has not been worked and which has not pulled with a a yoke. 4 "The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with flowing water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and they shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley. 5 "Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for b the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; c by their word every controversy and every 1 assault shall be settled. 6 "And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man d shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. 7 "Then they shall answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it. 8 'Provide atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, e and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of Your people Israel.' And atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood. 9 "So f you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

  1. Cross References
    Numbers 19:2
    This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying: 'Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come.
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 10:8
    At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day.
    1 Chronicles 23:13
    The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His name forever.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:8
    If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
    Deuteronomy 17:9
    And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment.
  4. Cross References
    Psalms 19:12
    Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
    Psalms 26:6
    I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O LORD.
    Matthew 27:24
    When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.
  5. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 19:10
    Lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you.
    Deuteronomy 19:13
    Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
    Jonah 1:14
    Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.
  6. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 19:13
    Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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