Deuteronomy 19
1 After Yahweh our God has gotten rid of the people-groups from the land that he is giving to you, and after you have expelled them from their cities and you start to live in their houses,
Cuando Yahvé vuestro Dios corte a las naciones cuya tierra te da Yahvé vuestro Dios, y tú las sucedas y habites en sus ciudades y en sus casas,
2 you must divide into three parts the land that he is giving to you. Then choose a city in each part. You must make good roads [in order that people can get to those cities easily]. Someone who kills another person can escape to one of those cities [to be safe/protected].
apartarás tres ciudades para ti en medio de tu tierra, que Yahvé vuestro Dios te da en posesión.
Prepararéis el camino y dividiréis en tres partes los límites de vuestra tierra que Yahvé vuestro Dios os hace heredar, para que todo hombre que se mate huya allí.
4 “This is the rule about someone who has killed another person. If someone (accidentally/without planning to) kills another person who was not his enemy, he may escape to one of those cities and be safe/protected there.
Este es el caso del homicida que huirá allí y vivirá: El que mate a su prójimo sin querer, y no lo haya odiado en el pasado...
5 For example, if two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the axe head strikes and kills the other man, the man [who was using the axe] will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, [because the people of that city will protect him].
como cuando un hombre va al bosque con su vecino a cortar leña y su mano mueve el hacha para cortar el árbol, y la cabeza se resbala del mango y golpea a su prójimo de modo que éste muere, deberá huir a una de estas ciudades y vivir.
6 Because he accidentally killed someone, and because the man was not his enemy, he can try to run to one of those cities. If there were only one city, it may be a long distance to that city. Then if the relative of the man who was killed [MTY], the man who is supposed/expected to get revenge, is very angry, he may be able to catch the other person before he arrives at that city.
De lo contrario, el vengador de la sangre podría perseguir al homicida mientras la ira ardiente está en su corazón y alcanzarlo, porque el camino es largo, y herirlo mortalmente, aunque no era digno de muerte, porque no lo odiaba en el pasado.
7 [To prevent that from happening], you must choose three cities, not only one, [in order that someone can get to one of those cities quickly].
Por lo tanto, te ordeno que apartes tres ciudades para ti.
8 “If you do everything that I am today commanding you to do, and if you love Yahweh our God, and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, Yahweh our God will give you much more land than you will have when you first occupy it, which is what he promised to do. He will give you all the land which he promised your ancestors that he would give to you. When he gives you that land, you must select three more cities [to which people may escape].
Si Yahvé, vuestro Dios, amplía vuestra frontera, como ha jurado a vuestros padres, y os da toda la tierra que prometió dar a vuestros padres;
y si cumplís todo este mandamiento que os ordeno hoy, de amar a Yahvé, vuestro Dios, y de andar siempre por sus caminos, entonces añadiréis tres ciudades más para vosotros, además de estas tres.
10 Do this in order that people who (are innocent/have killed someone else without planning to) will not die, and you will not be guilty for [allowing] them to be executed, in the land that Yahweh is giving to you.
Esto es para que no se derrame sangre inocente en medio de tu tierra que Yahvé vuestro Dios te da en herencia, dejando la culpa de la sangre sobre ti.
11 “But suppose someone hates his enemy and hides and waits for that person [to come along the road]. Then [when he passes by, suddenly] he attacks him and murders him. If the attacker flees to one of those cities [to be protected there],
Pero si alguno odia a su prójimo, lo acecha, se levanta contra él, lo hiere mortalmente para que muera, y huye a una de estas ciudades;
12 the elders of the city [where the murdered man lived must not protect the attacker. They]. must send someone to the city to which the other man escaped, and bring him to [MTY] the relative who is supposed/expected to get revenge, so that he may execute that man.
entonces los ancianos de su ciudad enviarán y lo llevarán allí, y lo entregarán en manos del vengador de la sangre, para que muera.
13 You must not pity those who murder other people! Instead, you must execute them, in order that the people in the land of Israel will not murder [MTY] innocent people, and in order that things will go well for you.”
Tu ojo no se compadecerá de él, sino que purificarás la sangre inocente de Israel para que te vaya bien.
14 “[When you are living] in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, do not move the markers of your neighbors’ property boundaries which were placed there long ago.”
No quitarás el mojón de tu prójimo, que ellos han puesto desde hace tiempo, en tu herencia que heredarás, en la tierra que Yahvé vuestro Dios te da para que la poseas.
15 “If someone is accused of committing a crime, one (witness/person who says, ‘I saw him do it’) is not enough. There must be at least two (witnesses/people who say, ‘We saw him do it’). [If there is only one witness], the judge must not believe that what he says is true.
Un solo testigo no se levantará contra el hombre por cualquier iniquidad o por cualquier pecado que cometa. En boca de dos testigos, o en boca de tres testigos, se establecerá un asunto.
16 “If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
Si un testigo inicuo se levanta contra alguno para declarar contra él de iniquidad,
17 both of them must go to the place where the people worship, to [talk to] the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
entonces ambos hombres, entre los cuales está la controversia, se presentarán ante Yahvé, ante los sacerdotes y los jueces que habrá en aquellos días;
18 The judges must (investigate the case carefully/try to find out which one is telling the truth). If [the judges determine that] one of them has accused the other falsely,
y los jueces harán una inquisición diligente; y he aquí que si el testigo es un testigo falso, y ha declarado falsamente contra su hermano,
19 that person must be punished in the same way that the other one would have been punished [if the judge decided that he (was guilty/had done what is wrong)]. By punishing such people, you will get rid of this evil practice among you.
entonces harás con él lo que él había pensado hacer a su hermano. Así eliminaréis el mal de entre vosotros.
20 And/Because when that person is punished, everyone will hear what has happened, and they will be afraid, and no one will dare to act that way any more.
Los que queden oirán y temerán, y no volverán a cometer ese mal entre vosotros.
21 You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person’s eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else’s eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.”
Tus ojos no tendrán piedad: vida por vida, ojo por ojo, diente por diente, mano por mano, pie por pie.
