Ponovljeni zakon 19
1 Kad Jahve, Bog tvoj, istrijebi narode čiju zemlju tebi daje te kad ih istjeraš i nastaniš se u njihovim gradovima i domovima,
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 u zemlji koju ti Jahve, Bog tvoj, daje u baštinu, odvoji tri grada.
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 Načini put onamo, a onda područje zemlje koju ti Jahve, Bog tvoj, daje u baštinu podijeli natroje, tako da svaki ubojica može onamo uteći.
4 Ovo je slučaj u kojemu ubojica može onamo pobjeći i spasiti svoj život: kad tko ubije svoga bližnjega nehotice, a da ga prije nije mrzio;
“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 primjerice, kad ode sa svojim bližnjim u šumu da siječe drva, zamahne sjekirom u ruci da obori drvo, gvožđe odleti s držalice i pogodi njegova druga te on pogine: takav ubojica neka uteče u jedan od tih gradova i spasit će život.
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 Inače bi krvni osvetnik, progoneći u svom bijesu ubojicu - kad bi put bio predug - mogao gonjenoga stići i pogubiti ga, iako taj nije zaslužio smrt budući da ubijenoga nije otprije mrzio.
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 Stoga ti nalažem: tri grada odvoji!
[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 A kad Jahve, Bog tvoj, proširi tvoje područje, kao što se zakleo ocima tvojim, i dadne ti svu zemlju koju je obećao tvojim ocima,
“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 budeš li držao i vršio sve ove zapovijedi što ti ih danas nalažem i ljubio Jahvu, Boga svoga, te hodio njegovim putovima sve vrijeme - onda ovim gradovima dodaj još tri grada:
10 tako se neće prolijevati nedužna krv u tvojoj zemlji koju ti Jahve daje u baštinu i nećeš se krvlju okaljati.
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 Ali ako tko mrzi svoga bližnjega i vreba ga, skoči na nj i ubije ga, a zatim pobjegne u jedan od tih gradova,
“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 onda neka starješine onoga grada izvedu ubojicu i predaju ga u ruke krvnom osvetniku da ga pogubi.
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 Neka ga oko tvoje ne sažaljuje! Tako ćeš u Izraelu iskorijeniti prolijevanje nedužne krvi i bit ćeš sretan.
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 Nemoj pomicati susjedova međaša kojim su stari razmeđašili tvoj posjed što ćeš ga naslijediti u zemlji koju ti Jahve, Bog tvoj, daje u baštinu.
“[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 Neka ne ustaje jedan jedini svjedok protiv čovjeka ni za koju krivnju i ni za kakav zločin. Kakav god bio prekršaj, neka presuda počiva na iskazu dvojice ili trojice svjedoka.
“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 Ako kakav krivi svjedok ustane protiv koga optužujući ga za pobunu,
“If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
17 onda obojica koja se parbe neka stupe pred Jahvu, pred svećenika i suce koji budu vršili službu u to vrijeme.
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 Neka suci provedu temeljitu istragu. Bude li se pokazalo da je svjedok lažan i da je lažno svjedočio protiv svoga brata,
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 učinite mu onako kako je on kanio svome bratu. Iskorijeni zlo iz svoje sredine!
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 Drugi će, kad o tome čuju, pobojati se te više neće činiti takva zla u tvojoj sredini.
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 Neka ti se oko ne sažaljuje! Život za život; oko za oko; zub za zub; ruka za ruku; noga za nogu.
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.”
