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 Yahweh your God cuts off the nations, those whose land Yahweh your God is giving you, and when you come after them and live in their cities and houses,
2 apartarás tres ciudades en medio de la tierra que Yavé tu ʼElohim te da para que la poseas.
you must select three cities for yourself in the middle of your land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.
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 must build a road and divide the borders of your land into three parts, the land that Yahweh your God is causing you to inherit, so that everyone who kills another person may flee there.
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 the law for the one who kills another and who flees there to live—anyone who kills his neighbor unintentionally, and did not previously hate him.
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 forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his chops with the ax to cut down a tree, and the ax head slips off of the handle and strikes his neighbor and kills him—then that man must flee to one of these cities and save his life.
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.
Otherwise the avenger of blood might go after the one who took a life, and in the heat of his anger overtake him, if the distance is too great, strike him and kill him, even though that man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.
7 Por tanto, yo te ordeno: Apartarás tres ciudades.
Therefore I command you to select three cities for yourself.
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,
If Yahweh your God enlarges your borders, as he has sworn to your ancestors to do, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your ancestors;
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 all these commandments to do them, which I am commanding you today—commandments to love Yahweh your God and to always walk in his ways, then you must add three more cities for yourself, besides these three.
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.
Do this so that innocent blood is not shed in the midst of the land that Yahweh your God is giving you for as an inheritance, so that no bloodguilt may be on you.
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 anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and mortally wounds him so that he dies, and if he then flees into one of these cities—
12 los ancianos de su ciudad enviarán a sacarlo de allí y lo entregarán al vengador de la sangre para que muera.
then the elders of his city must send and bring him back from there, and turn him over into the hand of the responsible relative, so that he may die.
13 No te compadecerás de él, sino limpiarás a Israel de sangre inocente para que te vaya bien.
Your eye must not pity him; instead, you must eradicate the bloodguilt from Israel, that it may go well with 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.
You must not remove your neighbor's landmark that they set in place a long time ago, in your inheritance that you will inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.
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 sole witness must not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any matter that he sins; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, must any matter be confirmed.
16 Cuando se levante un testigo falso contra alguien para acusarlo de transgresión,
Suppose that an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing.
17 los dos hombres litigantes se presentarán delante de Yavé, ante los sacerdotes y jueces que estén en funciones en aquellos días.
Then both men, the ones between whom the controversy exists, must stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.
18 Los jueces indagarán minuciosamente. Si el testigo es falso, y falsamente acusó a su hermano,
The judges must make diligent inquiries; see, if the witness is a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother,
19 le harán lo que él intentó hacer a su hermano. Así quitarás el mal de en medio de ti.
then must you do to him, as he had wished to do to his brother; and you will remove the evil from among you.
20 Los demás escucharán y temerán, y nunca se volverá a cometer tal maldad entre ustedes.
Then those who remain will hear and fear, and will from then on commit no longer any such evil among you.
21 No le tendrás compasión: vida por vida, ojo por ojo, diente por diente, mano por mano, pie por pie.
Your eyes must not pity; life will pay for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
