Deuteronomy 17:7

⁵ you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.

⁶ On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.

The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.

⁸ If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.

⁹ You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
KJV: The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.
WEB: The hands of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
ASV: The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.
DARBY: The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people; and thou shalt put evil away from thy midst.
BLB: The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and the hands of all the people afterward. And you shall put away the evil from among you.

ÅB: Vitnene skal først løfte hånden for å avlive ham, og dernæst hele folket; slik skal du rydde det onde bort av din midte.
OTB: Vitnenes hender skal være de første til å utføre henrettelsen, og deretter hendene til hele folket. Du må rense ut det onde fra blant dere.
B1930: Vidnene skal først løfte hånden for å avlive ham, og dernæst hele folket; således skal du rydde det onde bort av din midte.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 13:9
Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 5:13
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
Read in context
Deuteronomy 17:12
But the man who acts presumptuously, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there to serve the LORD your God, or to the judge, must be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 13:5
Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 24:7
If a man is caught kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. So you must purge the evil from among you.
Read in context
Acts 7:58–59
They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Read in context
Judges 20:13
Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 19:19
you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.
Read in context