Deuteronomy 19

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

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,

2 You shall separate three cities for you in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it.

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

3 You shall prepare you a way, and divide the coasts of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

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.

4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

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.

5 As when a man goes into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the helve, and lights on his neighbor, that he die; he shall flee to one of those cities, and live:

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.

6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

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.

7 Why I command you, saying, You shall separate three cities for you.

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

8 And if the LORD your God enlarge your coast, as he has sworn to your fathers, and give you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;

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

9 If you shall keep all these commandments to do them, which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shall you add three cities more for you, beside these three:

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.

10 That innocent blood be not shed in your land, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you.

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.

11 But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and flees into one of these cities:

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,

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

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

13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.

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.

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 it.

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.

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

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.

16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

If someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,

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

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

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

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

19 Then shall you do to him, as he had thought to have done to his brother: so shall you put the evil away from among you.

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

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall from now on commit no more any such evil among you.

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.

21 And your eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

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