Deuteronomy 19

1 When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations, those whose land Yahweh your God is giving you, and when you come after them and live in their cities and houses,

When the LORD your God shall 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;

2 you must select three cities for yourself in the middle of your land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.

you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it.

3 You must build a road and divide the borders of your land into three parts, the land that Yahweh your God is causing you to inherit, so that everyone who kills another person may flee there.

You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which the LORD your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.

4 This is the law for the one who kills another and who flees there to live—anyone who kills his neighbor unintentionally, and did not previously hate him.

This is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and did not hate him in time past;

5 For example, if a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his chops with the ax to cut down a tree, and the ax head slips off of the handle and strikes his neighbor and kills him—then that man must flee to one of these cities and save his life.

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies; he shall flee to one of these cities and live:

6 Otherwise the avenger of blood might go after the one who took a life, and in the heat of his anger overtake him, if the distance is too great, strike him and kill him, even though that man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.

lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he did not hate him in time past.

7 Therefore I command you to select three cities for yourself.

Therefore I command you, saying, You shall set apart three cities for yourselves.

8 If Yahweh your God enlarges your borders, as he has sworn to your ancestors to do, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your ancestors;

If the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;

9 if you keep all these commandments to do them, which I am commanding you today—commandments to love Yahweh your God and to always walk in his ways, then you must add three more cities for yourself, besides these three.

if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three:

10 Do this so that innocent blood is not shed in the midst of the land that Yahweh your God is giving you for as an inheritance, so that no bloodguilt may be on you.

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

11 But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and mortally wounds him so that he dies, and if he then flees into one of these cities—

But if any man hates his neighbor, and lies in wait for him, and rises up against him, and strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

12 then the elders of his city must send and bring him back from there, and turn him over into the hand of the responsible relative, so that he may die.

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

13 Your eye must not pity him; instead, you must eradicate the bloodguilt from Israel, that it may go well with you.

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

14 You must not remove your neighbor's landmark that they set in place a long time ago, in your inheritance that you will inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.

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.

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

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 every word be established.

16 Suppose that an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing.

If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

17 Then both men, the ones between whom the controversy exists, must stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.

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

18 The judges must make diligent inquiries; see, if the witness is a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother,

and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, look, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother;

19 then must you do to him, as he had wished to do to his brother; and you will remove the evil from among you.

then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.

20 Then those who remain will hear and fear, and will from then on commit no longer any such evil among you.

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall hereafter commit no more any such evil in the midst of you.

21 Your eyes must not pity; life will pay for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.