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)

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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:

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It is not for kings, Lemuel—
    it is not for kings to drink wine,(A)
    not for rulers to crave beer,

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It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

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lest they drink(A) and forget what has been decreed,(B)
    and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

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Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

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16 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance.(A) 17 If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom;(B) then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. 18 The prince must not take(C) any of the inheritance(D) of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’”

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16 Thus saith the Lord God; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by inheritance.

17 But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them.

18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.

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