< Deuteronomy 19 >
1 When the Lord thy God shall have cut off the nations, whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou hast driven them out, and dwellest 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 Then shalt thou set apart three cities for thyself, in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
應在上主你的天主賜給你作產業的地方,劃出三座城,
3 Thou shalt put in order for thyself the [way to them], and divide into three parts the territory of thy land, which the Lord thy God will give thee to inherit, and it shall serve, that every man-slayer may flee thither.
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 And this is the case of the man-slayer, who shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso smiteth his neighbor without knowledge, when he hath not been an enemy to 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 And he that goeth into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron slippeth from the helve, and striketh his neighbor, that he die: this one shall flee unto 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 That the avenger of the blood pursue not the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him dead; whereas he deserveth not a judgment of death, inasmuch as he was not an enemy to 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 do I command thee, saying, Three cities shalt thou set apart for thyself.
為此我吩咐你:應劃出三座城。
8 And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy boundary, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he hath spoken to give unto thy 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 Because thou dost keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk in his ways all the days: then shalt thou add for thyself three cities more, unto 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 That innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and blood-guiltiness be brought upon thee.
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 be an enemy to his neighbor, and he lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally so that he die, and he flee unto 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 shall the elders of his city send and fetch him thence, and they shall deliver him into the hand of the avenger of the 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 Thy eye shall not look with pity on him; but thou shalt put away the [shedding of] innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
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 Thou shalt not remove the landmark of thy neighbor, which they of old time have set, in thy inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
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 There shall not rise up one single witness against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: upon the evidence of two witnesses, or upon the evidence of three witnesses, must a case 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 a witness of violence rise up against any man to testify against him for any wrong:
若有人懷有惡意,起來作證控告某人犯法,
17 Then shall both the men, who have the controversy, 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 inquire diligently; and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, he hath testified a falsehood 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 shall ye do unto him, as he had purposed to do unto his brother; and thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.
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 And those who remain shall hear, and be afraid, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil thing in the midst of thee.
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 And thy eye shall have no pity; but life [shall go] 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。