Deuteronomii 19
1 cum disperderit Dominus Deus tuus gentes quarum tibi traditurus est terram et possederis eam habitaverisque in urbibus eius et in aedibus
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 terrae 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 aequaliter partes totam terrae tuae 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 haec erit lex homicidae fugientis cuius vita servanda est qui percusserit proximum suum nesciens et qui heri et nudius tertius nullum contra eum habuisse odium conprobatur
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 abisse simpliciter cum eo 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
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 eius cuius effusus est sanguis dolore stimulatus persequatur et adprehendat 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 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 praecipio tibi ut tres civitates aequalis 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 iuravit 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 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 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 terrae quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi possidendam nec 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 vitae eius 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 cuius 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 nec misereberis eius et auferes innoxium sanguinem de Israhel 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 adsumes 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 quicquid 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 praevaricationis
If someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,
17 stabunt ambo quorum causa est ante Dominum in conspectu sacerdotum et iudicum 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 eius 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.
