Law Courts

⁸ If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge^(A)—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults^(B)—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.^{(C) 9} Go to the Levitical^(D) priests and to the judge^(E) who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.^{(F) 10} You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do. ¹¹ Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.^{(G) 12} Anyone who shows contempt^(H) for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering^(I) there to the Lord your God is to be put to death.^(J) You must purge the evil from Israel.^{(K) 13} All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.^(L)

⁴ David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge^(A) of the work^(B) of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.^(C)