Deuteronomy 19
1 Na Angraeng Sithaw mah paek ih prae ah kaom kaminawk to nam ro o sak moe, nihcae ih ahmuen to na toep o pacoeng, nihcae ih vangpuinawk hoi im ah na oh o naah,
After the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he's giving you, and after you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
2 na Angraeng Sithaw mah toep han paek ih, na prae um li ah vangpui thumto nangmacae han pahoe oh.
then you are to choose three sanctuary towns in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
3 Kami hum moeng mi kawbaktih kami doeh, to ahmuen ah cawnh hanah, na Angraeng Sithaw mah ang paek o ih prae to thumto ah tapraek oh loe, to ahmuen ah caehhaih loklam to sah oh.
You are build roads to these towns. Divide the country the Lord is giving you into three sections. This way anyone who kills someone else can easily run to these towns for protection.
4 Hnukmahaih tawn ai, palung thung hoi pacaenghaih doeh tawn ai ah, a imtaeng kami to hum moeng naah, kami hum moeng pongah a hinghaih pahlong hanah, to ahmuen ah cawn kami mah sak han ih hmuen loe hae tiah oh;
This is what is to happen when a person accidentally kills someone else without meaning to, and runs to one of these sanctuary towns to save their life.
5 thui rumram ah, kami maeto loe thing pakhruk hanah a imtaeng kami hoiah taw ah caeh hoi, caka hoiah thing to pakhruk hoi naah, caka angkhring puk moe, a imtaeng kami to vah mat; to tiah oh naah to kami loe hing hanah, hae ih vangpui maeto thungah cawnh han oh.
For example, if a man goes to cut wood in the forest with his friend and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the head flies off the handle and hits and kills his friend, he may run to one of these towns to save his life.
6 To tih ai nahaeloe athii tho lu la kami mah anih to palungphui hoiah patom ueloe, loklam angthla parai pongah anih to kae naah, hum moeng tih; to kami loe a imtaeng kami hnukmahaih tawn ai pongah, duek han krah ai.
Otherwise the avenger in his anger might chase after the man and catch up with him and kill him, if it's a long distance. The man would be killed even though he didn't deserve to die, because he hadn't meant to cause any harm.
7 To pongah ni nangmacae hanah, vangpui thumto pahoe oh, tiah kang thuih o.
This is the reason why I'm giving this order to choose three sanctuary towns.
8 Nam panawk khaeah sak ih lokkamhaih baktih toengah, na Angraeng Sithaw mah na prae to kawksak moe, a lokkamhaih baktih toengah, prae pum ang paek o,
Should the Lord your God expand your territory, as he promised your forefathers, and give you all the land he said he would,
9 vaihniah kang paek o ih loknawk hae na pazui o moe, na sak o; na Angraeng Sithaw to na palung o pacoengah, a loklam ah na caeh o poe nahaeloe, vangpui thumto pahoe oh;
and if you are careful to keep all these commandments I'm giving you today, loving the Lord your God and always following his ways, then you are to choose three additional three sanctuary towns.
10 na Angraeng Sithaw mah qawktoep han paek ih prae thungah, zaehaih tawn ai kami ih athii to palong han ai ah, to tiah sah oh, tiah a thuih; to tiah na sak o nahaeloe, kami athii palonghaih atho nangcae nuiah krah mak ai.
In this way the blood of innocent people won't not be shed in the country the Lord your God is giving you to own and you won't be responsible for the death of innocent people who aren't guilty of losing their lives.
11 Toe kami maeto mah a imtaeng kami to hnukma moe, loklam ah angang; anih to boh pacoengah, hum nahaeloe, to vangpui maeto thungah cawn cadoeh,
On the other hand, if a man hates someone, hides in wait, and attacks and kills them, and then the killer runs to one of the sanctuary towns,
12 a ohhaih vangpui thung ih kacoehtanawk mah anih to naeh han kami patoeh ueloe, anih to hum hanah, lu la kami khaeah paek o tih.
the elders of his home town must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger to be killed.
13 To baktih kami loe tahmen han om ai; khosak na hoih o thai hanah, zaehaih tawn ai kami athii palonghaih to Israel prae thung hoiah to tiah ciim o sak ah.
Show him no mercy. You are to eliminate from Israel the guilt of shedding the blood of the innocent, and then all will be well.
14 Na Angraeng Sithaw mah qawktoep han paek ih prae thungah, canghnii kaminawk mah quen tangcae ih na imtaeng kami ih ramri to tahruet pae o hmah.
Don't move your neighbor's boundary marker. It was placed there by your ancestors to mark the land allotment you will receive in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
15 Kami maeto ih zaehaih hoi a sakpazaehaih loe, hnukung maeto khue ih lok hoiah cak o sak hmah; hnukung hnetto maw, to tih ai boeh loe thumto mah maw thuih ih lok to cak o sak ah.
The evidence given by a single witness is not enough to prove a sin or a crime against someone, never mind what offense they are alleged to have committed. The facts must be confirmed by the evidence given by two or three witnesses.
16 Amsawn hnukung maeto mah kami maeto zaehaih net nahaeloe,
If someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,
17 lok angaek kami hnik to, Angraeng hmaa ah to nathuem ah kaom qaimanawk hoi ukkungnawk hmaa ah, angdoe o sak hmaek ah.
both those involved must come to be judged in the presence of the Lord by the priests and judges who are then in office.
18 Lokcaekkungnawk mah kahoih ah lokcaek pacoengah, to kami loe amsawn hnukung ah om nahaeloe, angmah ih nawkamya to amsawn a net pongah,
The judges shall conduct a full investigation, and if the accuser proves to be a liar who has made false accusations
19 to kami mah angmah ih nawkamyanawk nuiah sak han pacaeng ih hmuen baktih toengah, anih nuiah doeh sah oh. To tiah nangcae salak ih kahoih ai hmuen to tahmat oh.
then you must punish the accuser in the same way they wanted to punish their victim. You must eliminate this evil from among you.
20 To tiah nahaeloe to ih lok thaih kaminawk mah, to baktih kahoih ai hmuen to nangcae salakah sah o mak ai, zii o tih boeh.
Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do anything so evil.
21 Anih to tahmen o hmah; toe hinghaih pongah hinghaih; mik pongah mik; haa pongah haa; ban pongah ban, khok pongah khok, tiah lu la pathok oh.
Don't show any mercy. The rule is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
