Deuteronomio 19
1 Cuando Yavé tu ʼElohim destruya las naciones cuya tierra Yavé tu ʼElohim te da, y tú las desalojes y vivas en sus ciudades y en sus casas,
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 apartarás tres ciudades en medio de la tierra que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da para que la poseas.
You are to have three towns marked out in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage.
3 Tú mismo prepararás los caminos, y dividirás en tres partes el territorio de las naciones que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da como posesión, para que huya allí todo homicida.
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 Este es el caso del homicida que puede huir y vivir allí para salvar su vida: el que mata a su prójimo sin intención y sin previamente aborrecerlo.
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 Como el que va con su prójimo al bosque a cortar leña, y cuando da el golpe con el hacha para cortar un leño, el hierro se desprende del cabo y da contra su prójimo, y éste muere, aquél puede huir a una de estas ciudades y vivir,
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 no sea que el vengador de la sangre persiga al homicida, mientras esté enardecido su corazón, y por ser largo el camino lo alcance y lo mate, sin ser él digno de muerte pues no lo aborrecía.
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 Por tanto, yo te ordeno: Apartarás tres ciudades.
And so I am ordering you to see that three towns are marked out for this purpose.
8 Si Yavé tu ʼElohim ensancha tu territorio, como lo juró a tus antepasados, y te da toda la tierra que prometió a tus antepasados que les daría,
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 guardas todos estos Mandamientos que yo te ordeno hoy para ponerlos en práctica, al amar a Yavé tu ʼElohim y andar en sus caminos todos los días, entonces apartarás tres ciudades además de aquellas tres.
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 Así no será derramada sangre inocente en medio de la tierra que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da como herencia, y no serás culpable de derramamiento de sangre.
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 Pero si hay alguno que aborrece a su prójimo y lo acecha, y al levantarse contra él lo hiere de tal modo que muere, y huye a una de estas ciudades,
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 los ancianos de su ciudad enviarán a sacarlo de allí y lo entregarán al vengador de la sangre para que muera.
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 No te compadecerás de él, sino limpiarás a Israel de sangre inocente para que te vaya bien.
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 No moverás el lindero de tu vecino, el cual fijaron tus antecesores en la herencia que vas a poseer en la tierra que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da en posesión.
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 El testimonio de un solo testigo no bastará contra alguno con respecto a cualquier iniquidad o pecado que cometió. Por el testimonio de dos o tres testigos será confirmada una acusación.
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 Cuando se levante un testigo falso contra alguien para acusarlo de transgresión,
If a false witness makes a statement against a man, saying that he has done wrong,
17 los dos hombres litigantes se presentarán delante de Yavé, ante los sacerdotes y jueces que estén en funciones en aquellos días.
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 Los jueces indagarán minuciosamente. Si el testigo es falso, y falsamente acusó a su hermano,
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 le harán lo que él intentó hacer a su hermano. Así quitarás el mal de en medio de ti.
Then do to him what it was his purpose to do to his brother: and so put away the evil from among you.
20 Los demás escucharán y temerán, y nunca se volverá a cometer tal maldad entre ustedes.
And the rest of the people, hearing of it, will be full of fear, and never again do such evil among you.
21 No le tendrás compasión: vida por vida, ojo por ojo, diente por diente, mano por mano, pie por pie.
Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
