Δευτερονόμιον 19
1 Αφού Κύριος ο Θεός σου αφανίση τα έθνη, των οποίων την γην δίδει εις σε Κύριος ο Θεός σου, και κατακληρονομήσης αυτά και κατοικήσης εις τας πόλεις αυτών και εις τας οικίας αυτών,
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,
2 θέλεις χωρίσει τρεις πόλεις εις σεαυτόν εν τω μέσω της γης σου, την οποίαν Κύριος ο Θεός σου δίδει εις σε να κληρονομήσης αυτήν.
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].
3 Θέλεις ετοιμάσει εις σεαυτόν την οδόν· και θέλεις διαιρέσει εις τρία τα όρια της γης σου, την οποίαν δίδει εις σε Κύριος ο Θεός σου να κληρονομήσης, διά να φεύγη εκεί πας φονεύς.
4 Και αύτη είναι η διάταξις περί του φονέως, όστις φύγη εκεί, διά να ζήση· Όστις κτυπήση τον πλησίον αυτού εξ αγνοίας, τον οποίον πρότερον δεν εμίσει,
“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.
5 καθώς όταν υπάγη τις μετά του πλησίον αυτού εις το δάσος διά να κόψη ξύλα, και ενώ η χειρ αυτού καταβιβάζη κτύπημα με τον πέλεκυν διά να κόψη το δένδρον, εκβή το σιδήριον από του ξύλου και τύχη τον πλησίον αυτού και αυτός αποθάνη, ούτος θέλει φύγει εις μίαν εκ των πόλεων εκείνων και θέλει ζήσει·
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].
6 μήποτε καταδιώξη τον φονέα ο εκδικητής του αίματος, ενώ είναι εις έξαψιν η καρδία αυτού, και προφθάση αυτόν, εάν η οδός ήναι μακρά, και φονεύση αυτόν, καίτοι μη όντα άξιον θανάτου, επειδή δεν εμίσει αυτόν πρότερον.
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.
7 Διά τούτο εγώ προστάζω εις σε λέγων, τρεις πόλεις θέλεις χωρίσει εις σεαυτόν.
[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].
8 Και εάν Κύριος ο Θεός σου πλατύνη τα όριά σου, καθώς ώμοσε προς τους πατέρας σου, και δώση εις σε πάσαν την γην, την οποίαν υπεσχέθη να δώση εις τους πατέρας σου,
“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].
9 εάν φυλάττης πάσας τας εντολάς ταύτας, ώστε να εκτελής αυτάς, τας οποίας εγώ προστάζω εις σε σήμερον, να αγαπάς Κύριον τον Θεόν σου και να περιπατής πάντοτε εις τας οδούς αυτού, τότε θέλεις προσθέσει εις σεαυτόν έτι τρεις πόλεις προς τας τρεις εκείνας·
10 διά να μη χυθή αίμα αθώον εν μέσω της γης σου, την οποίαν Κύριος ο Θεός σου δίδει εις σε κληρονομίαν, και να ήναι αίμα επάνω σου.
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.
11 Εάν δε τις έχη μίσος κατά του πλησίον αυτού, και παραμονεύσας αυτόν εφορμήση επ' αυτόν και πατάξη αυτόν, και αποθάνη, και φύγη εις μίαν των πόλεων τούτων,
“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],
12 τότε θέλουσιν αποστείλει οι πρεσβύτεροι της πόλεως αυτού και θέλουσι λάβει αυτόν εκείθεν, και θέλουσι παραδώσει αυτόν εις την χείρα του εκδικητού του αίματος, διά να αποθάνη.
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.
13 Ο οφθαλμός σου δεν θέλει φεισθή αυτόν, αλλά θέλεις εξαλείψει από του Ισραήλ το αθώον αίμα, διά να ευημερής.
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.”
14 Δεν θέλεις μετακινήσει τα όρια του πλησίον σου, όσα οι πατέρες σου έστησαν εις την κληρονομίαν σου, την οποίαν θέλεις κατακληρονομήσει, εν τη γη την οποίαν Κύριος ο Θεός σου δίδει εις σε διά να κατακληρονομήσης αυτήν.
“[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.”
15 Εις μάρτυς δεν θέλει σηκωθή εναντίον τινός ανθρώπου, δι' οποιανδήποτε ανομίαν ή δι' οποιονδήποτε αμάρτημα, ό,τι αμάρτημα αμαρτήση· επί στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ή επί στόματος τριών μαρτύρων θέλει βεβαιούσθαι πας λόγος.
“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.
16 Εάν ψευδής μάρτυς σηκωθή εναντίον ανθρώπου, διά να μαρτυρήση κατ' αυτού αδίκως,
“If someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him,
17 τότε και οι δύο άνθρωποι, μεταξύ των οποίων είναι η διαφορά, θέλουσι σταθή ενώπιον του Κυρίου, ενώπιον των ιερέων και των κριτών των όντων κατ' εκείνας τας ημέρας·
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.
18 και οι κριταί θέλουσιν εξετάσει ακριβώς, και ιδού, εάν ο μάρτυς ήναι ψευδομάρτυς και εμαρτύρησε ψευδώς κατά του αδελφού αυτού,
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,
19 τότε θέλετε κάμει εις αυτόν, καθώς αυτός εστοχάσθη να κάμη εις τον αδελφόν αυτού· και θέλεις εκβάλει το κακόν εκ μέσου σου.
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.
20 Και οι λοιποί θέλουσιν ακούσει και φοβηθή, και δεν θέλουσιν εις το εξής πράξει τοιούτον κακόν εν μέσω σου.
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.
21 Και ο οφθαλμός σου δεν θέλει φεισθή· θέλει δοθή ζωή αντί ζωής, οφθαλμός αντί οφθαλμού, οδούς αντί οδόντος, χειρ αντί χειρός, πους αντί ποδός.
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.”
