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 Yavé tu ʼElohim destruya las naciones cuya tierra Yavé tu ʼElohim te da, y tú las desalojes y vivas 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 en medio de la tierra que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da para que la poseas.
Tú mismo prepararás los caminos, y dividirás en tres partes el territorio de las naciones que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da como posesión, para que huya allí todo homicida.
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 puede huir y vivir allí para salvar su vida: el que mata a su prójimo sin intención y sin previamente aborrecerlo.
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 el que va con su prójimo al bosque a cortar leña, y cuando da el golpe con el hacha para cortar un leño, el hierro se desprende del cabo y da contra su prójimo, y éste muere, aquél puede 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.
no sea que el vengador de la sangre persiga al homicida, mientras esté enardecido su corazón, y por ser largo el camino lo alcance y lo mate, sin ser él digno de muerte pues no lo aborrecía.
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 tanto, yo te ordeno: Apartarás tres ciudades.
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 Yavé tu ʼElohim ensancha tu territorio, como lo juró a tus antepasados, y te da toda la tierra que prometió a tus antepasados que les daría,
si guardas todos estos Mandamientos que yo te ordeno hoy para ponerlos en práctica, al amar a Yavé tu ʼElohim y andar en sus caminos todos los días, entonces apartarás tres ciudades además de aquellas 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.
Así no será derramada sangre inocente en medio de la tierra que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da como herencia, y no serás culpable de derramamiento de sangre.
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 hay alguno que aborrece a su prójimo y lo acecha, y al levantarse contra él lo hiere de tal modo que muere, 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.
los ancianos de su ciudad enviarán a sacarlo de allí y lo entregarán al 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.”
No te compadecerás de él, sino limpiarás a Israel de sangre inocente 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 moverás el lindero de tu vecino, el cual fijaron tus antecesores en la herencia que vas a poseer en la tierra que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da en posesión.
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.
El testimonio de un solo testigo no bastará contra alguno con respecto a cualquier iniquidad o pecado que cometió. Por el testimonio de dos o tres testigos será confirmada una acusación.
16 “If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
Cuando se levante un testigo falso contra alguien para acusarlo de transgresión,
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.
los dos hombres litigantes se presentarán delante de Yavé, ante los sacerdotes y jueces que estén en funciones 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,
Los jueces indagarán minuciosamente. Si el testigo es falso, y falsamente acusó a 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.
le harán lo que él intentó hacer a su hermano. Así quitarás el mal de en medio de ti.
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 demás escucharán y temerán, y nunca se volverá a cometer tal maldad entre ustedes.
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.”
No le tendrás compasión: vida por vida, ojo por ojo, diente por diente, mano por mano, pie por pie.
