דברים 19

1 כִּֽי־יַכְרִית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ אֶת־אַרְצָם וִֽירִשְׁתָּם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְעָרֵיהֶם וּבְבָתֵּיהֶֽם׃

When Adonai your God cuts off the nations, whose land Adonai your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;

2 שָׁלוֹשׁ עָרִים תַּבְדִּיל לָךְ בְּתוֹךְ אַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃

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

3 תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת־גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַנְחִֽילְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָיָה לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כָּל־רֹצֵֽחַ׃

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

4 וְזֶה דְּבַר הָרֹצֵחַ אֲשֶׁר־יָנוּס שָׁמָּה וָחָי אֲשֶׁר יַכֶּה אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ בִּבְלִי־דַעַת וְהוּא לֹא־שֹׂנֵא לוֹ מִתְּמֹל שִׁלְשֹֽׁם׃

This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live. Whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn’t hate him in time past;

5 וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ בַיַּעַר לַחְטֹב עֵצִים וְנִדְּחָה יָדוֹ בַגַּרְזֶן לִכְרֹת הָעֵץ וְנָשַׁל הַבַּרְזֶל מִן־הָעֵץ וּמָצָא אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וָמֵת הוּא יָנוּס אֶל־אַחַת הֶעָרִים־הָאֵלֶּה וָחָֽי׃

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the ax 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 פֶּן־יִרְדֹּף גֹּאֵל הַדָּם אַחֲרֵי הָרֹצֵחַ כִּי־יֵחַם לְבָבוֹ וְהִשִּׂיגוֹ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּה הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהִכָּהוּ נָפֶשׁ וְלוֹ אֵין מִשְׁפַּט־מָוֶת כִּי לֹא שֹׂנֵא הוּא לוֹ מִתְּמוֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃

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

7 עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים תַּבְדִּיל לָֽךְ׃

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

8 וְאִם־יַרְחִיב יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת־גְּבֻלְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ וְנָתַן לְךָ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָתֵת לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

If Adonai 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 כִּֽי־תִשְׁמֹר אֶת־כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת לַעֲשֹׂתָהּ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו כָּל־הַיָּמִים וְיָסַפְתָּ לְךָ עוֹד שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים עַל הַשָּׁלֹשׁ הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

if you keep all this mitzvot ·instructions· to do them, which I enjoin you today, to 'ahav ·affectionately love· Adonai your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three.

10 וְלֹא יִשָּׁפֵךְ דָּם נָקִי בְּקֶרֶב אַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וְהָיָה עָלֶיךָ דָּמִֽים׃

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

11 וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶה אִישׁ שֹׂנֵא לְרֵעֵהוּ וְאָרַב לוֹ וְקָם עָלָיו וְהִכָּהוּ נֶפֶשׁ וָמֵת וְנָס אֶל־אַחַת הֶעָרִים הָאֵֽל׃

But if any man hates his neighbor, 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 וְשָֽׁלְחוּ זִקְנֵי עִירוֹ וְלָקְחוּ אֹתוֹ מִשָּׁם וְנָתְנוּ אֹתוֹ בְּיַד גֹּאֵל הַדָּם וָמֵֽת׃

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 לֹא־תָחוֹס עֵֽינְךָ עָלָיו וּבִֽעַרְתָּ דַֽם־הַנָּקִי מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְטוֹב לָֽךְ׃

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

14 לֹא תַסִּיג גְּבוּל רֽ͏ֵעֲךָ אֲשֶׁר גָּבְלוּ רִאשֹׁנִים בְּנַחֲלָֽתְךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּנְחַל בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃

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 Adonai your God gives you to possess.

15 לֹֽא־יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל־עָוֺן וּלְכָל־חַטָּאת בְּכָל־חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֽ͏ֶחֱטָא עַל־פִּי ׀ שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל־פִּי שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָֽר׃

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any depravity (moral evil), or for any habitual sin ·missing the mark·, in any crime deserving peanlty, sin ·missing the goal· that he sins ·errs (the standard goal)·. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

16 כִּֽי־יָקוּם עֵד־חָמָס בְּאִישׁ לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ סָרָֽה׃

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

17 וְעָמְדוּ שְׁנֵֽי־הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־לָהֶם הָרִיב לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לִפְנֵי הַכֹּֽהֲנִים וְהַשֹּׁפְטִים אֲשֶׁר יִהְיוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵֽם׃

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

18 וְדָרְשׁוּ הַשֹּׁפְטִים הֵיטֵב וְהִנֵּה עֵֽד־שֶׁקֶר הָעֵד שֶׁקֶר עָנָה בְאָחִֽיו׃

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

19 וַעֲשִׂיתֶם לוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם לַעֲשׂוֹת לְאָחִיו וּבִֽעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃

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

20 וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ וְלֹֽא־יֹסִפוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד כַּדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃

Those who remain shall sh'ma ·hear obey·, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.

21 וְלֹא תָחוֹס עֵינֶךָ נֶפֶשׁ בְּנֶפֶשׁ עַיִן בְּעַיִן שֵׁן בְּשֵׁן יָד בְּיָד רֶגֶל בְּרָֽגֶל׃

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