Principles Governing Kings

14 “When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, (A)‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you (B)whom the Lord your God chooses; one (C)from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply (D)horses for himself, nor cause the people (E)to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for (F)the Lord has said to you, (G)‘You shall not return that way again.’ 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and (H)gold for himself.

18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one (I)before the priests, the Levites. 19 And (J)it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not [a]be lifted above his brethren, that he (K)may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may [b]prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 17:20 become proud
  2. Deuteronomy 17:20 continue long in his kingdom

The King

14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession(A) of it and settled in it,(B) and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”(C) 15 be sure to appoint(D) over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites.(E) Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses(F) for himself(G) or make the people return to Egypt(H) to get more of them,(I) for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”(J) 17 He must not take many wives,(K) or his heart will be led astray.(L) He must not accumulate(M) large amounts of silver and gold.(N)

18 When he takes the throne(O) of his kingdom, he is to write(P) for himself on a scroll a copy(Q) of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life(R) so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees(S) 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law(T) to the right or to the left.(U) Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.(V)

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14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

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