Deuteronomii 19
1 Cum disperdiderit Dominus Deus tuus gentes, quarum tibi traditurus est terram, et possederis eam, habitaverisque in urbibus ejus et in ædibus:
After the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he's giving you, and after you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,
2 tres civitates separabis tibi in medio terræ, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi in possessionem,
then you are to choose three sanctuary towns in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
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 build roads to these towns. Divide the country the Lord is giving you into three sections. This way anyone who kills someone else can easily run to these towns for protection.
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 what is to happen when a person accidentally kills someone else without meaning to, and runs to one of these sanctuary towns to save their life.
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 to cut wood in the forest with his friend and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the head flies off the handle and hits and kills his friend, he may run to one of these towns to save his life.
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.
Otherwise the avenger in his anger might chase after the man and catch up with him and kill him, if it's a long distance. The man would be killed even though he didn't deserve to die, because he hadn't meant to cause any harm.
7 Idcirco præcipio tibi, ut tres civitates æqualis inter se spatii dividas.
This is the reason why I'm giving this order to choose three sanctuary towns.
8 Cum autem dilataverit Dominus Deus tuus terminos tuos, sicut juravit patribus tuis, et dederit tibi cunctam terram, quam eis pollicitus est
Should the Lord your God expand your territory, as he promised your forefathers, and give you all the land he said he would,
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:
and if you are careful to keep all these commandments I'm giving you today, loving the Lord your God and always following his ways, then you are to choose three additional three sanctuary towns.
10 ut non effundatur sanguis innoxius in medio terræ, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi possidendam, ne sis sanguinis reus.
In this way the blood of innocent people won't not be shed in the country the Lord your God is giving you to own and you won't be responsible for the death of innocent people who aren't guilty of losing their lives.
11 Si quis autem, odio habens proximum suum, insidiatus fuerit vitæ ejus, surgensque percusserit illum, et mortuus fuerit, fugeritque ad unam de supradictis urbibus,
On the other hand, if a man hates someone, hides in wait, and attacks and kills them, and then the killer runs to one of the sanctuary towns,
12 mittent seniores civitatis illius, et arripient eum de loco effugii, tradentque in manu proximi, cujus sanguis effusus est, et morietur.
the elders of his home town must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger to be killed.
13 Non miseraberis ejus, et auferes innoxium sanguinem de Israël, ut bene sit tibi.
Show him no mercy. You are to eliminate from Israel the guilt of shedding the blood of the innocent, and then all will be well.
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.
Don't move your neighbor's boundary marker. It was placed there by your ancestors to mark the land allotment you will receive in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.
15 Non stabit testis unus contra aliquem, quidquid illud peccati, et facinoris fuerit: sed in ore duorum aut trium testium stabit omne verbum.
The evidence given by a single witness is not enough to prove a sin or a crime against someone, never mind what offense they are alleged to have committed. The facts must be confirmed by the evidence given by two or three witnesses.
16 Si steterit testis mendax contra hominem, accusans eum prævaricationis,
If someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,
17 stabunt ambo, quorum causa est, ante Dominum in conspectu sacerdotum et judicum qui fuerint in diebus illis.
both those involved must come to be judged in the presence of the Lord by the priests and judges who are then in office.
18 Cumque diligentissime perscrutantes, invenerint falsum testem dixisse contra fratrem suum mendacium,
The judges shall conduct a full investigation, and if the accuser proves to be a liar who has made false accusations
19 reddent ei sicut fratri suo facere cogitavit, et auferes malum de medio tui:
then you must punish the accuser in the same way they wanted to punish their victim. You must eliminate this evil from among you.
20 ut audientes ceteri timorem habeant, et nequaquam talia audeant facere.
Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do anything so evil.
21 Non misereberis ejus, sed animam pro anima, oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente, manum pro manu, pedem pro pede exiges.
Don't show any mercy. The rule is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
