Deuteronomy 17:8

⁶ At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

⁷ 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.

If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;

⁹ And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:

¹⁰ And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:

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: 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.
KJV: If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;
WEB: If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise, and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
ASV: If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose;
DARBY: If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between cause and cause, and between stroke and stroke, matters of controversy within thy gates, then shalt thou arise, and go up to the place which Jehovah thy God will choose.
BLB: If a matter is too hard for you to judge—between guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another judgment, or between one punishment or another punishment, matters of controversies within your gates—you shall arise and go up to the place that YHWH your God chooses.

ÅB: Når en sak er deg for vanskelig å dømme i, enten det gjelder en drapssak eller en rettstrette eller et søksmål for skade på legemet eller i det hele noen sak som der tvistes om i dine byer, da skal du gjøre deg rede og dra opp til det sted Herren din Gud utvelger.
OTB: Hvis det oppstår en sak som er for vanskelig for deg å dømme—enten det er blodskyld, søksmål eller overfall—innenfor dine porter, da må du gå opp til det stedet Herren din Gud vil velge.
B1930: Når en sak er dig for vanskelig å dømme i, enten det gjelder en drapssak eller en rettstrette eller et søksmål for skade på legemet eller i det hele nogen sak som der tvistes om i dine byer, da skal du gjøre dig rede og dra op til det sted Herren din Gud utvelger.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 12:5
But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
Read in context
Haggai 2:11
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
Read in context
Deuteronomy 1:17
Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
Read in context
Exodus 18:26
And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 19:17
Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
Read in context
2 Chronicles 19:8–10
Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.
Read in context
Numbers 35:16
And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Read in context
Exodus 21:22
If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
Read in context