Deuteronomy 19
19
1When the Lord thy God hath destroyed the nations, whose land he will deliver to thee, and thou shalt possess it, and shalt dwell in the cities and houses thereof:
2Thou shalt separate to thee three cities in the midst of the land, which the Lord will give thee in possession,
3Paving diligently the way. And thou shalt divide the whole province of thy land equally into three parts: that he who is forced to flee for manslaughter may have near at hand whither to escape.
4This shall be the law of the slayer that fleeth, whose life is to be saved: He that killeth his neighbour ignorantly, and who is proved to have had no hatred against him yesterday and the day before:
5But to have gone with him to the wood to hew wood, and in cutting down the tree the axe slipped out of his hand, and the iron slipping from the handle struck his friend, and killed him: he shall flee to one of the cities aforesaid, and live:
6Lest perhaps the next kinsman of him whose blood was shed, pushed on by his grief should pursue, and apprehend him, if the way be too long: and take away the life of him who is not guilty of death, because he is proved to have had no hatred before against him that was slain.
7Therefore I command thee, that thou separate three cities at equal distance one from another.
8And when the Lord thy God shall have enlarged thy borders, as he swore to thy fathers, and shall give thee all the land that he promised them:
9(Yet so, if thou keep his commandments, and do the things which I command thee this day, that thou love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways at all times) thou shalt add to thee other three cities, and shalt double the number of the three cities aforesaid:
10That innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess: lest thou be guilty of blood.
11But if any man hating his neighbour lie in wait for his life, and rise and strike him, and he die; and he flee to one of the cities aforesaid:
12The ancients of his city shall send, and take him out of the place of refuge: and shall deliver him into the hand of the kinsman of him whose blood was shed. And he shall die.
13Thou shalt not pity him, and thou shalt take away the guilt of innocent blood out of Israel, that it may be well with thee.
14Thou shalt not take nor remove thy neighbour's landmark, which thy predecessors have set in thy possession, which the Lord thy God will give thee in the land that thou shalt receive to possess.
15One witness shall not rise up against any man, whatsoever the sin or wickedness be. But in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand.
16If a lying witness stand against a man, accusing him of transgression:
17Both of them, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord in the sight of the priests and the judges that shall be in those days.
18And when after most diligent inquisition they shall find that the false witness hath told a lie against his brother:
19They shall render to him as he meant to do to his brother; and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee.
20That others hearing may fear, and may not dare to do such things.
21Thou shalt not pity him: but shalt require life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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Deuteronomy 19: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Deuteronomy 19
19
Three Cities of Refuge
1“When the Lord your God #Deut. 12:29has cut off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, 2#Ex. 21:13; Num. 35:10–15; Deut. 4:41; Josh. 20:2you shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3You shall prepare roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, that any manslayer may flee there.
4“And #Num. 35:9–34; Deut. 4:42this is the case of the manslayer who flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him in time past— 5as when a man goes to the woods with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live; 6#Num. 35:12lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past. 7Therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall separate three cities for yourself.’
8“Now if the Lord your God #Deut. 12:20enlarges your territory, as He swore to #Gen. 15:18–21your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, 9and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk always in His ways, #Josh. 20:7–9then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three, 10#Num. 35:33; Deut. 21:1–9lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you.
11“But #Num. 35:16, 24; Deut. 27:24; (1 John 3:15)if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, 12then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13#Deut. 13:8Your eye shall not pity him, #Num. 35:33, 34; 1 Kin. 2:31but you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
Property Boundaries
14#Deut. 27:17; Job 24:2; Prov. 22:28; Hos. 5:10“You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
The Law Concerning Witnesses
15#Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; Matt. 18:16; John 8:17; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. 16If a false witness #Ex. 23:1; Ps. 27:12; 35:11rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, 17then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, #Deut. 17:8–11; 21:5before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. 18And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, 19#Prov. 19:5; Dan. 6:24then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so #Deut. 13:5; 17:7; 21:21; 22:21you shall put away the evil from among you. 20#Deut. 17:13; 21:21And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. 21#Deut. 19:13Your eye shall not pity: #Ex. 21:23, 24; Lev. 24:20; Matt. 5:38, 39life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.