Deuteronomii 19

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

When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,

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

then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

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

You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.

4 Haec erit lex homicidae fugientis, cuius vita servanda est: Qui percusserit proximum suum nesciens, et qui heri et nudiustertius nullum contra eum odium habuisse comprobatur:

Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:

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

If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.

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

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.

7 Idcirco praecipio tibi, ut tres civitates aequalis inter se spatii dividas.

This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.

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

And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,

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

and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.

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

Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

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

If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,

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

the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.

13 Non miseraberis eius, et auferes innoxium sanguinem de Israel, ut bene sit tibi.

You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with 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.

You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

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

A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

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

If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,

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

both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

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

The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

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

you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the 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.

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

You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.