Deuteronomy 19

1 When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

When the LORD your God cuts 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 Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

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

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the bounds of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee there.

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

4 And this is the case of the slayer, who shall flee there, that he may live: Whoever killeth his neighbour unintentionally, whom he hated not in time past;

This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbour unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—

5 As when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand maketh a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and falleth upon his neighbour, that he dieth; he shall flee to one of these cities, and live:

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbour to chop wood and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbour so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

6 Lest the avenger of blood shall pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; though he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.

7 Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee.

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

8 And if the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy land, as he hath sworn to thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give to thy fathers;

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 thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three:

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

10 That innocent blood may not be shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.

11 But if any man shall hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he dieth, and he shall flee into one of these cities:

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

12 Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, 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 Thy eye shall not pity him, but thou shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may be well with thee.

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

14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, 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.

You shall not remove your neighbour’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.

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

16 If a false witness shall rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

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

17 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;

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

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

19 Then shall ye do to him, as he had thought to do to his brother: so shalt thou remove the evil from among you.

then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from amongst you.

20 And those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil amongst you.

21 And thy eye shall not pity; but life shall go 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.