A Person Who Speaks Evil Is Put to Death
10 There was a man who had an Israelite mother. His father was born in Egypt. The man went out among the people of Israel. A fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.
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The son of the Israelite woman spoke evil things against the LORD by using a curse. So the people brought him to Moses. The name of the man's mother was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri. Dibri was from the tribe of Dan.
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The people kept her son under guard until they could find out what the LORD wanted them to do.
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Then the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,
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"Get the man who spoke evil things against me. Take him outside the camp. All those who heard him say those things must place their hands on his head. Then the whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him.
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"Say to the people of Israel, 'If anyone calls down a curse on me, he will be held accountable.
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If anyone speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. When he speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death.
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" 'If anyone kills another human being, he must be put to death.
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If anyone kills someone's animal, he must pay its owner. A life must be taken for a life.
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" 'Suppose someone hurts his neighbor. Then what he has done must be done to him.
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A bone must be broken for a bone. An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. He must be hurt in the same way he hurt someone else.
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" 'If anyone kills an animal, he must pay its owner. But if he kills a human being, he must be put to death.
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The same law applies whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. I am the LORD your God.' "
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Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel. They got the man who had spoken evil things against the Lord. They took him outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. The people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.