< Deuteronomy 19 >
1 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,
當上主你天主消滅了那些異民,上主你的天主將他們的土地賜給了你,而你佔領了那地,住在他們的城鎮和房屋裏以後,
2 you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.
應在上主你的天主賜給你作產業的地方,劃出三座城,
3 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.
修好到那裏去的道路,將上主你的天主給你作產業的地方,分為三個區域,這樣使殺了人的,可逃到那裏去。
4 This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and did not hate him in time past—
殺人犯逃到那裏得保全性命的案件應是這樣:假使有人無意殺了鄰人,彼此又素無仇怨:
5 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.
比如他與鄰人同去林中伐樹,當他手揮斧子伐樹時,斧頭脫了柄,落在鄰人身上,以致斃命,他就可逃到這些城中的一座城去,為保全性命,
6 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 did not hate him in time past.
以免報血仇者心中發火追趕殺人者,因路途遙遠,而能趕上他,將他殺死;其實他與那人素無仇怨,罪不該死。
7 Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
為此我吩咐你:應劃出三座城。
8 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;
當上主你的天主,照他向你的祖先誓許的,擴展了你的疆域,將許下要給你祖先的整個土地賜給你時,──
9 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.
倘若你謹守遵行我今日吩咐你的這一切誡命,愛上主你的天主,日日履行他的道路,──你應在這三座城以外,另設三座城,
10 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.
免得無罪者的血,流在上主你的天主賜給你作產業的土地上,血債歸在你身上。
11 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;
但是,如果有人懷恨自己的鄰人,埋伏突擊他,而將他殺死,然後逃到這些城中的一座,
12 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.
他本城的長老應派人去,將他從那裏逮回,交於報血仇者手中,將他處死;
13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.
你不可憐視他,而應由以色列中洗除無辜的血:如此你纔能平安無事。
14 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.
在上主你的天主賜給你作產業所分得的土地上,不可移動你鄰人的地界,因為是先人所劃定的。
15 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.
人無論犯了什麼不義,什麼罪惡,或什麼過錯,只憑一個見證,罪名不得成立;須憑兩個或三個見證的口供,纔可定案。
16 If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
若有人懷有惡意,起來作證控告某人犯法,
17 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;
二人應一同站在上主面前,和值班的司祭及判官面前。
18 and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
判官應仔細考問。若那作證的是一個假證人,誣告自己的兄弟,
19 then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
你就應對付他,如同他想對付自己的兄弟一樣:這樣你便由你中間剷除了這邪惡,
20 Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.
其餘的人聽了,必然害怕,在你中間再不致有這樣的惡事發生。
21 Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
你不可發慈悲,要以命償命,以眼還眼,以牙還牙,以手還手,以腳還腳。