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,

When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

2 u zemlji koju ti Jahve, Bog tvoj, daje u baštinu, odvoji tri grada.

you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.

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.

You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

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 case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—

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.

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

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.

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.

7 Stoga ti nalažem: tri grada odvoji!

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

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 the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;

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:

and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three.

10 tako se neće prolijevati nedužna krv u tvojoj zemlji koju ti Jahve daje u baštinu i nećeš se krvlju okaljati.

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on 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 if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

12 onda neka starješine onoga grada izvedu ubojicu i predaju ga u ruke krvnom osvetniku da ga pogubi.

then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

13 Neka ga oko tvoje ne sažaljuje! Tako ćeš u Izraelu iskorijeniti prolijevanje nedužne krvi i bit ćeš sretan.

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with 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.

You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.

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.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

16 Ako kakav krivi svjedok ustane protiv koga optužujući ga za pobunu,

If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

17 onda obojica koja se parbe neka stupe pred Jahvu, pred svećenika i suce koji budu vršili službu u to vrijeme.

then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;

18 Neka suci provedu temeljitu istragu. Bude li se pokazalo da je svjedok lažan i da je lažno svjedočio protiv svoga brata,

and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,

19 učinite mu onako kako je on kanio svome bratu. Iskorijeni zlo iz svoje sredine!

then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

20 Drugi će, kad o tome čuju, pobojati se te više neće činiti takva zla u tvojoj sredini.

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.

21 Neka ti se oko ne sažaljuje! Život za život; oko za oko; zub za zub; ruka za ruku; noga za nogu.

Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.