Deuteronomii 19

1 Cum disperdiderit Dominus Deus tuus gentes, quarum tibi traditurus est terram, et possederis eam, habitaverisque in urbibus ejus et in ædibus:

When the nations, whose land the Lord your God is giving you, have been cut off by him, and you have taken their place and are living in their towns and in their houses;

2 tres civitates separabis tibi in medio terræ, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi in possessionem,

You are to have three towns marked out in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.

3 sternens diligenter viam: et in tres æqualiter partes totam terræ tuæ provinciam divides: ut habeat e vicino qui propter homicidium profugus est, quo possit evadere.

You are to make ready a way, and see that the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, is marked out into three parts, to which any taker of life may go in flight.

4 Hæc erit lex homicidæ fugientis, cujus vita servanda est: qui percusserit proximum suum nesciens, et qui heri et nudiustertius nullum contra eum odium habuisse comprobatur:

This is to be the rule for anyone who goes in flight there, after causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate;

5 sed abiisse cum eo simpliciter in silvam ad ligna cædenda, et in succisione lignorum securis fugerit manu, ferrumque lapsum de manubrio amicum ejus percusserit, et occiderit: hic ad unam supradictarum urbium confugiet, et vivet:

For example, if a man goes into the woods with his neighbour for the purpose of cutting down trees, and when he takes his axe to give a blow to the tree, the head of the axe comes off, and falling on to his neighbour gives him a wound causing his death; then the man may go in flight to one of these towns and be safe:

6 ne forsitan proximus ejus, cujus effusus est sanguis, dolore stimulatus, persequatur, et apprehendat eum si longior via fuerit, et percutiat animam ejus, qui non est reus mortis: quia nullum contra eum, qui occisus est, odium prius habuisse monstratur.

For if not, he who has the right of punishment may go running after the taker of life in the heat of his wrath, and overtake him because the way is long, and give him a death-blow; though it is not right for him to be put to death because he was not moved by hate.

7 Idcirco præcipio tibi, ut tres civitates æqualis inter se spatii dividas.

And so I am ordering you to see that three towns are marked out for this purpose.

8 Cum autem dilataverit Dominus Deus tuus terminos tuos, sicut juravit patribus tuis, et dederit tibi cunctam terram, quam eis pollicitus est

And if the Lord your God makes wide the limits of your land, as he said in his oath to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he undertook to give to your fathers;

9 (si tamen custodieris mandata ejus, et feceris, quæ hodie præcipio tibi, ut diligas Dominum Deum tuum, et ambules in viis ejus omni tempore), addes tibi tres alias civitates, et supradictarum trium urbium numerum duplicabis:

If you keep and do all these orders which I give you today, loving the Lord your God and walking ever in his ways; then let three more towns, in addition to these three, be marked out for you:

10 ut non effundatur sanguis innoxius in medio terræ, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi possidendam, ne sis sanguinis reus.

So that in all your land, which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, no man may be wrongly put to death, for which you will be responsible.

11 Si quis autem, odio habens proximum suum, insidiatus fuerit vitæ ejus, surgensque percusserit illum, et mortuus fuerit, fugeritque ad unam de supradictis urbibus,

But if any man has hate for his neighbour, and waiting for him secretly makes an attack on him and gives him a blow causing his death, and then goes in flight to one of these towns;

12 mittent seniores civitatis illius, et arripient eum de loco effugii, tradentque in manu proximi, cujus sanguis effusus est, et morietur.

The responsible men of his town are to send and take him, and give him up to the one who has the right of punishment to be put to death.

13 Non miseraberis ejus, et auferes innoxium sanguinem de Israël, ut bene sit tibi.

Have no pity on him, so that Israel may be clear from the crime of putting a man to death without cause, and it will be well for you.

14 Non assumes, et transferes terminos proximi tui, quos fixerunt priores in possessione tua, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi in terra quam acceperis possidendam.

Your neighbour's landmark, which was put in its place by the men of old times, is not to be moved or taken away in the land of your heritage which the Lord your God is giving you.

15 Non stabit testis unus contra aliquem, quidquid illud peccati, et facinoris fuerit: sed in ore duorum aut trium testium stabit omne verbum.

One witness may not make a statement against a man in relation to any sin or wrongdoing which he has done: on the word of two or three witnesses a question is to be judged.

16 Si steterit testis mendax contra hominem, accusans eum prævaricationis,

If a false witness makes a statement against a man, saying that he has done wrong,

17 stabunt ambo, quorum causa est, ante Dominum in conspectu sacerdotum et judicum qui fuerint in diebus illis.

Then the two men, between whom the argument has taken place, are to come before the Lord, before the priests and judges who are then in power;

18 Cumque diligentissime perscrutantes, invenerint falsum testem dixisse contra fratrem suum mendacium,

And the judges will have the question looked into with care: and if the witness is seen to be false and to have made a false statement against his brother,

19 reddent ei sicut fratri suo facere cogitavit, et auferes malum de medio tui:

Then do to him what it was his purpose to do to his brother: and so put away the evil from among you.

20 ut audientes ceteri timorem habeant, et nequaquam talia audeant facere.

And the rest of the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear, and never again do such evil among you.

21 Non misereberis ejus, sed animam pro anima, oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente, manum pro manu, pedem pro pede exiges.

Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.