申命記 19
1 「耶和華－你上帝將列國之民剪除的時候，耶和華－你上帝也將他們的地賜給你，你接着住他們的城邑並他們的房屋，
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 就要在耶和華－你上帝所賜你為業的地上分定三座城。
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 要將耶和華－你上帝使你承受為業的地分為三段；又要預備道路，使誤殺人的，都可以逃到那裏去。
4 「誤殺人的逃到那裏可以存活，定例乃是這樣：凡素無仇恨，無心殺了人的，
“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 就如人與鄰舍同入樹林砍伐樹木，手拿斧子一砍，本想砍下樹木，不料，斧頭脫了把，飛落在鄰舍身上，以致於死，這人逃到那些城的一座城，就可以存活，
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 免得報血仇的，心中火熱追趕他，因路遠就追上，將他殺死；其實他不該死，因為他與被殺的素無仇恨。
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 所以我吩咐你說，要分定三座城。
[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 耶和華－你上帝若照他向你列祖所起的誓擴張你的境界，將所應許賜你列祖的地全然給你，
“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 你若謹守遵行我今日所吩咐的這一切誡命，愛耶和華－你的上帝，常常遵行他的道，就要在這三座城之外，再添三座城，
10 免得無辜之人的血流在耶和華－你上帝所賜你為業的地上，流血的罪就歸於你。
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 「若有人恨他的鄰舍，埋伏着起來擊殺他，以致於死，便逃到這些城的一座城，
“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 本城的長老就要打發人去，從那裏帶出他來，交在報血仇的手中，將他治死。
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 你眼不可顧惜他，卻要從以色列中除掉流無辜血的罪，使你可以得福。」
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 「在耶和華－你上帝所賜你承受為業之地，不可挪移你鄰舍的地界，那是先人所定的。」
“[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 「人無論犯甚麼罪，作甚麼惡，不可憑一個人的口作見證，總要憑兩三個人的口作見證才可定案。
“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 若有凶惡的見證人起來，見證某人作惡，
“If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
17 這兩個爭訟的人就要站在耶和華面前，和當時的祭司，並審判官面前，
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 審判官要細細地查究，若見證人果然是作假見證的，以假見證陷害弟兄，
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 你們就要待他如同他想要待的弟兄。這樣，就把那惡從你們中間除掉。
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 別人聽見都要害怕，就不敢在你們中間再行這樣的惡了。
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 你眼不可顧惜，要以命償命，以眼還眼，以牙還牙，以手還手，以腳還腳。」
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.”
