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 Yahweh our God has gotten rid of the people-groups from the land that he is giving to you, and after you have expelled them from their cities and you start to live in their houses,
2 na Angraeng Sithaw mah toep han paek ih, na prae um li ah vangpui thumto nangmacae han pahoe oh.
you must divide into three parts the land that he is giving to you. Then choose a city in each part. You must make good roads [in order that people can get to those cities easily]. Someone who kills another person can escape to one of those cities [to be safe/protected].
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.
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 the rule about someone who has killed another person. If someone (accidentally/without planning to) kills another person who was not his enemy, he may escape to one of those cities and be safe/protected there.
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 two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the axe head strikes and kills the other man, the man [who was using the axe] will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, [because the people of that city will protect him].
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.
Because he accidentally killed someone, and because the man was not his enemy, he can try to run to one of those cities. If there were only one city, it may be a long distance to that city. Then if the relative of the man who was killed [MTY], the man who is supposed/expected to get revenge, is very angry, he may be able to catch the other person before he arrives at that city.
7 To pongah ni nangmacae hanah, vangpui thumto pahoe oh, tiah kang thuih o.
[To prevent that from happening], you must choose three cities, not only one, [in order that someone can get to one of those cities quickly].
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,
“If you do everything that I am today commanding you to do, and if you love Yahweh our God, and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, Yahweh our God will give you much more land than you will have when you first occupy it, which is what he promised to do. He will give you all the land which he promised your ancestors that he would give to you. When he gives you that land, you must select three more cities [to which people may escape].
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;
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.
Do this in order that people who (are innocent/have killed someone else without planning to) will not die, and you will not be guilty for [allowing] them to be executed, in the land that Yahweh is giving to you.
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,
“But suppose someone hates his enemy and hides and waits for that person [to come along the road]. Then [when he passes by, suddenly] he attacks him and murders him. If the attacker flees to one of those cities [to be protected there],
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 the city [where the murdered man lived must not protect the attacker. They]. must send someone to the city to which the other man escaped, and bring him to [MTY] the relative who is supposed/expected to get revenge, so that he may execute that man.
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.
You must not pity those who murder other people! Instead, you must execute them, in order that the people in the land of Israel will not murder [MTY] innocent people, and in order that things will go well for you.”
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.
“[When you are living] in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, do not move the markers of your neighbors’ property boundaries which were placed there long ago.”
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.
“If someone is accused of committing a crime, one (witness/person who says, ‘I saw him do it’) is not enough. There must be at least two (witnesses/people who say, ‘We saw him do it’). [If there is only one witness], the judge must not believe that what he says is true.
16 Amsawn hnukung maeto mah kami maeto zaehaih net nahaeloe,
“If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
17 lok angaek kami hnik to, Angraeng hmaa ah to nathuem ah kaom qaimanawk hoi ukkungnawk hmaa ah, angdoe o sak hmaek ah.
both of them must go to the place where the people worship, to [talk to] the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
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 must (investigate the case carefully/try to find out which one is telling the truth). If [the judges determine that] one of them has accused the other falsely,
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.
that person must be punished in the same way that the other one would have been punished [if the judge decided that he (was guilty/had done what is wrong)]. By punishing such people, you will get rid of this evil practice 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.
And/Because when that person is punished, everyone will hear what has happened, and they will be afraid, and no one will dare to act that way any more.
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.
You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person’s eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else’s eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.”
