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:

'When Jehovah thy God doth cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and thou hast succeeded them, and dwelt in their cities, and in their houses,

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.

three cities thou dost separate for thee in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it.

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.

Thou dost prepare for thee the way, and hast divided into three parts the border of thy land which Jehovah thy God doth cause thee to inherit, and it hath been for the fleeing thither of every man-slayer.

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;

'And this [is] the matter of the man-slayer who fleeth thither, and hath lived: He who smiteth his neighbour unknowingly, and is not hating him heretofore,

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;

even he who cometh in with his neighbour into a forest to hew wood, and his hand hath driven with an axe to cut the tree, and the iron hath slipped from the wood, and hath met his neighbour, and he hath died — he doth flee unto one of these cities, and hath lived,

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.

lest the redeemer of blood pursue after the man-slayer when his heart is hot, and hath overtaken him (because the way is great), and hath smitten him — the life, and he hath no sentence of death, for he is not hating him heretofore;

7 Therefore do I command thee, saying, Three cities shalt thou set apart for thyself.

therefore I am commanding thee, saying, Three cities thou dost separate to thee.

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;

'And if Jehovah thy God doth enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn to thy fathers, and hath given to thee all the land which He hath spoken to give to thy fathers —

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;

when thou keepest all this command to do it, which I am commanding thee to-day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk in His ways all the days — then thou hast added to thee yet three cities to these three;

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.

and innocent blood is not shed in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee — an inheritance, and there hath been upon thee blood.

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:

'And when a man is hating his neighbour, and hath lain in wait for him, and risen against him, and smitten him — the life, and he hath died, and he hath fled unto one of these cities,

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.

then the elders of his city have sent and taken him from thence, and given him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, and he hath died;

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.

thine eye hath no pity on him, and thou hast put away the innocent blood from Israel, and it is well with thee.

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.

'Thou dost not remove a border of thy neighbour, which they of former times have made, in thine inheritance, which thou dost inherit in the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it.

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.

'One witness doth not rise against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin which he sinneth; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, is a thing established.

16 If a witness of violence rise up against any man to testify against him for any wrong:

'When a violent witness doth rise against a man, to testify against him apostasy,

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;

then have both the men who have the strife stood before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who are in those days,

18 And the judges shall inquire diligently; and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, he hath testified a falsehood against his brother:

and the judges have searched diligently, and lo, the witness [is] a false witness, a falsehood he hath testified against his brother:

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.

'Then ye have done to him as he devised to do to his brother, and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst,

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.

and those who are left do hear and fear, and add not to do any more according to this evil thing in thy midst;

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.

and thine eye doth not pity — life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.