The Skeptics Annotated Bible (185 page)

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.

(17.17)
“Neither shall he multiply wives to himself.
”
16 Is polygamy OK?

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.

18
The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.

2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

3 And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

4 The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

5 For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.

8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

(18.10-12) Wizards, witches, and astrologers are “an abomination unto the Lord.”
66 Does God approve of human sacrifice?
92 Is magic OK?
4 Does the bible condemn astrology?

10
There shall not be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or
that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

(18.10)
“There shall not be found among you any one … that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.”

11
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

(18.11)
“Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”

12
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD
: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

(18.12)
“For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.”

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

(18.18-19) Is the prophesied prophet Jesus, Muhammad, or Joseph Smith?

18
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

(18.18)
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”

19 And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

(18.19)
“Whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”

(18.20-22) False prophets are to be (you guessed it) executed. How do you know who is a false prophet? By whether or not their predictions come true. (Watch out Jehovah’s Witnesses!)