Deuteronomy 21:1-9

International Standard Version

Atonement for Unsolved Murder

21 “If a murder victim is found fallen in the open country of the land that the Lord your God is about to give you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, ² then let your elders and judges go out and measure the distance from the dead body to the neighboring cities. ³ Then the elders of the city nearest the body are to take a heifer that hasn’t been put to work or hasn’t pulled a yoke ⁴ and^[a] are to lead the heifer to a flowing stream in a valley that has never been tilled or planted. They are to break the heifer’s neck there. ⁵ Then the priests of the descendants of Levi are to step forward, because the Lord your God chose them to serve and pronounce blessings in his name.^[b] Every case of dispute and assault is to be subject to their ruling. ⁶ All the elders of the city nearest the dead body are to wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, ⁷ and they are to make this declaration: ‘Our hands didn’t shed this blood, nor were we witnesses to the crime. ⁸ Make atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, Lord, and don’t charge the blood of an innocent man against them.’^[c] Then the blood that has been shed will be atoned for. ⁹ This is how you will remove the guilt of innocent blood from among you, for you must do what is right in the sight of the Lord.”