Deuteronomy 19

1 After the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he's giving you, and after you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,

When the nations, whose land the Lord your God is giving you, have been cut off by him, and you have taken their place and are living in their towns and in their houses;

2 then you are to choose three sanctuary towns in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.

You are to have three towns marked out in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.

3 You are build roads to these towns. Divide the country the Lord is giving you into three sections. This way anyone who kills someone else can easily run to these towns for protection.

You are to make ready a way, and see that the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, is marked out into three parts, to which any taker of life may go in flight.

4 This is what is to happen when a person accidentally kills someone else without meaning to, and runs to one of these sanctuary towns to save their life.

This is to be the rule for anyone who goes in flight there, after causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate;

5 For example, if a man goes to cut wood in the forest with his friend and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the head flies off the handle and hits and kills his friend, he may run to one of these towns to save his life.

For example, if a man goes into the woods with his neighbour for the purpose of cutting down trees, and when he takes his axe to give a blow to the tree, the head of the axe comes off, and falling on to his neighbour gives him a wound causing his death; then the man may go in flight to one of these towns and be safe:

6 Otherwise the avenger in his anger might chase after the man and catch up with him and kill him, if it's a long distance. The man would be killed even though he didn't deserve to die, because he hadn't meant to cause any harm.

For if not, he who has the right of punishment may go running after the taker of life in the heat of his wrath, and overtake him because the way is long, and give him a death-blow; though it is not right for him to be put to death because he was not moved by hate.

7 This is the reason why I'm giving this order to choose three sanctuary towns.

And so I am ordering you to see that three towns are marked out for this purpose.

8 Should the Lord your God expand your territory, as he promised your forefathers, and give you all the land he said he would,

And if the Lord your God makes wide the limits of your land, as he said in his oath to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he undertook to give to your fathers;

9 and if you are careful to keep all these commandments I'm giving you today, loving the Lord your God and always following his ways, then you are to choose three additional three sanctuary towns.

If you keep and do all these orders which I give you today, loving the Lord your God and walking ever in his ways; then let three more towns, in addition to these three, be marked out for you:

10 In this way the blood of innocent people won't not be shed in the country the Lord your God is giving you to own and you won't be responsible for the death of innocent people who aren't guilty of losing their lives.

So that in all your land, which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, no man may be wrongly put to death, for which you will be responsible.

11 On the other hand, if a man hates someone, hides in wait, and attacks and kills them, and then the killer runs to one of the sanctuary towns,

But if any man has hate for his neighbour, and waiting for him secretly makes an attack on him and gives him a blow causing his death, and then goes in flight to one of these towns;

12 the elders of his home town must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger to be killed.

The responsible men of his town are to send and take him, and give him up to the one who has the right of punishment to be put to death.

13 Show him no mercy. You are to eliminate from Israel the guilt of shedding the blood of the innocent, and then all will be well.

Have no pity on him, so that Israel may be clear from the crime of putting a man to death without cause, and it will be well for you.

14 Don't move your neighbor's boundary marker. It was placed there by your ancestors to mark the land allotment you will receive in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.

Your neighbour's landmark, which was put in its place by the men of old times, is not to be moved or taken away in the land of your heritage which the Lord your God is giving you.

15 The evidence given by a single witness is not enough to prove a sin or a crime against someone, never mind what offense they are alleged to have committed. The facts must be confirmed by the evidence given by two or three witnesses.

One witness may not make a statement against a man in relation to any sin or wrongdoing which he has done: on the word of two or three witnesses a question is to be judged.

16 If someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,

If a false witness makes a statement against a man, saying that he has done wrong,

17 both those involved must come to be judged in the presence of the Lord by the priests and judges who are then in office.

Then the two men, between whom the argument has taken place, are to come before the Lord, before the priests and judges who are then in power;

18 The judges shall conduct a full investigation, and if the accuser proves to be a liar who has made false accusations

And the judges will have the question looked into with care: and if the witness is seen to be false and to have made a false statement against his brother,

19 then you must punish the accuser in the same way they wanted to punish their victim. You must eliminate this evil from among you.

Then do to him what it was his purpose to do to his brother: and so put away the evil from among you.

20 Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do anything so evil.

And the rest of the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear, and never again do such evil among you.

21 Don't show any mercy. The rule is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.