Deuteronomy 19

1 When the Lord thy God hath destroyed the nations, whose land he will deliver to thee, and thou shalt possess it, and shalt dwell in the cities and houses thereof:

Whanne thi Lord God hath distried the folkis, whose lond he schal yyue to thee, and thou hast weldid it, and hast dwellid in the citees and housis therof;

2 Thou shalt separate to thee three cities in the midst of the land, which the Lord will give thee in possession,

thou schalt departe thre citees to thee `in the myddis of the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee into possessioun.

3 Paving diligently the way: and thou shalt divide the whole province of thy land equally into three parts: that he who is forced to flee for manslaughter, may have near at hand whither to escape.

Thou schalt make redi diligentli the weye, and thou schalt departe euenly in to thre partis al the prouynce of thi lond, that he that is exilid for mansleyng, haue `of nyy whidur he may ascape.

4 This shall be the law of the slayer that fleeth, whose life is to be saved: He that killeth his neighbour ignorantly, and who is proved to have had no hatred against him yesterday and the day before:

This schal be the lawe of a mansleere fleynge, whos lijf schal be kept. If a man smytith vnwityngli his neiybore, and which is preuyd to haue not had ony hatered ayens hym yistirdai and the thridde dai agoon,

5 But to have gone with him to the wood to hew wood, and in cutting down the tree the axe slipped out of his hand, and the iron slipping from the handle struck his friend, and killed him: he shall flee to one of the cities aforesaid, and live:

but to haue go sympli with hym in to the wode to hewe doun trees, and in the fellyng doun of trees the axe fleeth fro the hond, and the yrun slidith fro the helue, and smytith, and sleeth his freend; this man schal flee to oon of the forseid citees, and schal lyue;

6 Lest perhaps the next kinsman of him whose blood was shed, pushed on by his grief should pursue, and apprehend him. if the way be too long, and take away the life of him who is not guilty of death, because he is proved to have had no hatred before against him that was slain.

lest perauenture the next kynesman of hym, whos blood is sched out, be prickid with sorewe, and `pursue, and take hym, if the weie is lengere, and smyte `the lijf of hym which is not gilti of deeth; for it is schewid that he hadde not ony hatered bifore ayens hym that is slayn.

7 Therefore I command thee, that thou separate three cities at equal distance one from another.

Therfor Y comaunde to thee, that thou departe thre citees of euene space bitwixe hem silf.

8 And when the Lord thy God shall have enlarged thy borders, as he swore to thy fathers, and shall give thee all the land that he promised them,

Forsothe whanne thi Lord God hath alargid thi termes, as he swoor to thi fadris, and hath youe to thee al the lond which he bihiyte to hem; if netheles thou kepist hise comaundementis,

9 (Yet so, if thou keep his commandments, and do the things which I command thee this day, that thou love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways at all times) thou shalt add to thee other three cities, and shalt double the number of the three cities aforesaid:

and doist tho thingis whiche Y comaunde to thee to day, that thou loue thi Lord God, and go in hise weies in al tyme, thou schalt adde to thee thre othere citees, and thou schalt double the noumbre of the forseid citees,

10 That innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess, lest thou be guilty of blood.

that gilteles blood be not sched out in the myddis of the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee to haue in possessioun, lest thou be gilti of blood.

11 But if any man hating his neighbour, lie in wait for his life, and rise and strike him, and he die, and he flee to one of the cities aforesaid,

Forsothe if ony man hatith his neiybore, and settith aspies, `ether tresouns, to his lijf, and risith, and smytith him, and he is deed, and he fleeth to oon of the forseid citees,

12 The ancients of his city shall send, and take him out of the place of refuge, and shall deliver him into the hand of the kinsman of him whose blood was shed, and he shall die.

the eldere men of that citee schulen sende, and `thei schulen take hym fro the place of refuyt; and thei schulen bitake hym in to the hond of the nexte kynesman of hym, whos blood is sched out,

13 Thou shalt not pity him, and thou shalt take away the guilt of innocent blood out of Israel, that it may be well with thee.

and he schal die, and thou schalt not haue mercy on hym; and thou schalt do awey gilti blood fro Israel, that it be wel to thee.

14 Thou shalt not take nor remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which thy predecessors have set in thy possession. which the Lord thy God will give thee in the land that thou shalt receive to possess.

Thou schalt not take, and turne ouer the termes of thi neiybore, which the formere men settiden in thi possessioun, which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee in the lond, `which lond thou schalt take `to be weldid.

15 One witness shall not rise up against any man, whatsoever the sin or wickedness be: but in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand.

O witnesse schal not stonde ayens ony man, what euer thing it is of synne and of wickidnesse; but ech word schal stonde in the mouth of tweyne ethir of thre witnessis.

16 If a lying witness stand against a man, accusing him of transgression,

If a fals witnesse stondith ayens a man, and accusith hym of brekyng of the lawe, bothe,

17 Both of them, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord in the sight of the priests and the judges that shall be in those days.

of whiche the cause is, schulen stonde bifor the Lord, in the siyt of preestis, and of iugis, that ben in tho daies.

18 And when after most diligent inquisition, they shall find that the false witness hath told a lie against his brother:

And whanne thei sekynge moost diligentli han founde that the fals witnesse seide a leesyng ayens his brothir,

19 They shall render to him as he meant to do to his brother, and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee:

thei schulen yelde to hym, as he thouyte to do to his brother; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee, that othere men here,

20 That others hearing may fear, and may not dare to do such things.

and haue drede, and be no more hardi to do siche thingis.

21 Thou shalt not pity him, but shalt require life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Thou schalt not haue mercy on hym, but thou schalt axe lijf for lijf, iye for iye, tooth for tooth, hond for hond, foot for foot.