Deuteronomy 19

1 Whanne thi Lord God hath distried the folkis, whose lond he schal yyue to thee, and thou hast weldid it, and hast dwellid in the citees and housis therof;

When Jehovah thy God hath cut off the nations whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou hast dispossessed them, and dwellest in their cities and in their houses,

2 thou schalt departe thre citees to thee `in the myddis of the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee into possessioun.

thou shalt separate three cities for thyself in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess.

3 Thou schalt make redi diligentli the weye, and thou schalt departe euenly in to thre partis al the prouynce of thi lond, that he that is exilid for mansleyng, haue `of nyy whidur he may ascape.

Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the territory of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, so that every slayer may flee thither.

4 This schal be the lawe of a mansleere fleynge, whos lijf schal be kept. If a man smytith vnwityngli his neiybore, and which is preuyd to haue not had ony hatered ayens hym yistirdai and the thridde dai agoon,

And this is the case of the slayer who shall flee thither that he may live: he that smiteth his neighbour unwittingly, whom he hated not previously;

5 but to haue go sympli with hym in to the wode to hewe doun trees, and in the fellyng doun of trees the axe fleeth fro the hond, and the yrun slidith fro the helue, and smytith, and sleeth his freend; this man schal flee to oon of the forseid citees, and schal lyue;

as when he goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron slippeth from the handle, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; such an one shall flee unto one of these cities, and live;

6 lest perauenture the next kynesman of hym, whos blood is sched out, be prickid with sorewe, and `pursue, and take hym, if the weie is lengere, and smyte `the lijf of hym which is not gilti of deeth; for it is schewid that he hadde not ony hatered bifore ayens hym that is slayn.

lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, since he hated him not previously.

7 Therfor Y comaunde to thee, that thou departe thre citees of euene space bitwixe hem silf.

Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thyself.

8 Forsothe whanne thi Lord God hath alargid thi termes, as he swoor to thi fadris, and hath youe to thee al the lond which he bihiyte to hem; if netheles thou kepist hise comaundementis,

And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers

9 and doist tho thingis whiche Y comaunde to thee to day, that thou loue thi Lord God, and go in hise weies in al tyme, thou schalt adde to thee thre othere citees, and thou schalt double the noumbre of the forseid citees,

(if thou keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk in his ways continually), then shalt thou add three cities more for thyself to these three,

10 that gilteles blood be not sched out in the myddis of the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee to haue in possessioun, lest thou be gilti of blood.

that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and blood come not upon thee.

11 Forsothe if ony man hatith his neiybore, and settith aspies, `ether tresouns, to his lijf, and risith, and smytith him, and he is deed, and he fleeth to oon of the forseid citees,

But if a man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and he flee into one of these cities,

12 the eldere men of that citee schulen sende, and `thei schulen take hym fro the place of refuyt; and thei schulen bitake hym in to the hond of the nexte kynesman of hym, whos blood is sched out,

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

13 and he schal die, and thou schalt not haue mercy on hym; and thou schalt do awey gilti blood fro Israel, that it be wel to thee.

Thine eye shall not spare him; and thou shalt put away innocent blood from Israel, that it may be well with thee.

14 Thou schalt not take, and turne ouer the termes of thi neiybore, which the formere men settiden in thi possessioun, which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee in the lond, `which lond thou schalt take `to be weldid.

Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have fixed in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess.

15 O witnesse schal not stonde ayens ony man, what euer thing it is of synne and of wickidnesse; but ech word schal stonde in the mouth of tweyne ethir of thre witnessis.

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

16 If a fals witnesse stondith ayens a man, and accusith hym of brekyng of the lawe, bothe,

If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of an offence;

17 of whiche the cause is, schulen stonde bifor the Lord, in the siyt of preestis, and of iugis, that ben in tho daies.

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

18 And whanne thei sekynge moost diligentli han founde that the fals witnesse seide a leesyng ayens his brothir,

and the judges shall make thorough inquiry; and if the witness be a false witness, and he have testified falsely against his brother,

19 thei schulen yelde to hym, as he thouyte to do to his brother; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee, that othere men here,

then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother; and thou shalt put evil away from thy midst.

20 and haue drede, and be no more hardi to do siche thingis.

And those that remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in thy midst.

21 Thou schalt not haue mercy on hym, but thou schalt axe lijf for lijf, iye for iye, tooth for tooth, hond for hond, foot for foot.

And thine eye shall not spare: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.