5. The priests, the descendants of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord, your God, has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and every case of dispute or assault shall be for them to decide.
6. Then all the elders of that city nearest the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi,
7. and shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, and our eyes did not see the deed.
8. Absolve, O Lord, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not let the guilt of shedding innocent blood remain in the midst of your people Israel.” Thus they shall be absolved from the guilt of bloodshed,
9. and you shall purge the innocent blood from your midst, and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
10. When you go out to war against your enemies and the Lord, your God, delivers them into your power, so that you take captives,
11. if you see a beautiful woman among the captives and become so enamored of her that you wish to have her as a wife,