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.
Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 19
19
1When יהוה your Elohim cuts off the nations whose land יהוה your Elohim is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,”
2separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess.
3“Prepare a way for yourself, and divide into three parts the border of your land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to inherit, that any man-slayer shall flee there.
4And this matter of the man-slayer who flees there and lives: he who strikes his neighbour unknowingly, not having hated him in time past,”
5even he who goes to the forest with his neighbour to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbour so that he dies – let him flee to one of these cities and live,
6lest the revenger of blood, while his displeasure is hot, pursue the man-slayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and shall strike his being, though he was not worthy of death, since he had not hated him before.
7“Therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘Separate three cities for yourself.’
8And if יהוה your Elohim enlarges your border, as He swore to your fathers, and has given you the land which He promised to give to your fathers - ”
9when you guard all this command to do it, which I am commanding you today, to love יהוה your Elohim and to walk in His ways all the days – then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three,
10so that innocent blood is not shed in the midst of your land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you as an inheritance, or blood-guilt shall be upon you.
11“But when anyone hates his neighbour, and shall lie in wait for him and rise against him and strike his being so that he dies, then he shall flee to one of these cities,
12and the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and give him into the hand of the revenger of blood, and he shall die.
13“Your eye shall not pardon him, but you shall purge the blood of innocent blood from Yisra’ĕl, so that it might be well with you.
14“Do not remove your neighbour’s boundary, which those in the past have set, in your inheritance which you inherit in the land that יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess.
15“One witness does not rise up against a man concerning any crookedness or any sin that he commits. At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses a matter is established.
16“When a malicious witness rises up against any man to accuse him of turning aside,
17then both men who have the dispute shall stand before יהוה, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.
18And the judges shall diligently search and see if the witness is a false witness, who has falsely accused his brother,”
19then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from your midst.
20“And let the rest hear and fear, and never again do this evil matter in your midst.
21“And let your eye not pardon, life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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