Deuteronomy 19

Cities of Refuge

1“1WhenH3588 the LordH3068 your GodH430 cutsH3772 offH3772 the nationsH1471, whoseH834 landH776 the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 you, and you dispossessH3423 them and settleH3427 in their citiesH5892 and in their housesH1004, 22you shall setH914 asideH914 threeH7969 citiesH5892 for yourself in the midstH8432 of your landH776, whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 you to 3possessH3423. 3You shall prepareH3559 the 4roadsH1870 for yourself, and divideH8027 into threeH8027 partsH8027 the territoryH1366 of your landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will giveH5157 you as a possessionH5157, 5so that anyH3605 manslayerH7523 may fleeH5127 thereH8033.

4“6Now thisH2088 is the caseH1697 of the manslayerH7523 whoH834 may fleeH5127 thereH8033 and liveH2421: whenH834 he 7killsH5221 his friendH7453 8unintentionallyH1847H1097, 9not hatingH8130 him previouslyH8543H8032-- 5as whenH834 a man goesH935 into the forestH3293 with his friendH7453 to cutH2404 woodH6086, and his handH3027 10swingsH5080 the axeH1631 to cutH3772 downH3772 the treeH6086, and the ironH1270 head slipsH5394 offH5394 the 11handleH6086 and 12strikesH4672 his friendH7453 so that he diesH4191--he may fleeH5127 to oneH259 of theseH428 citiesH5892 and liveH2421; 6otherwiseH6435 the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818 might pursueH7291 the manslayerH7523 13in the heatH2552 of his angerH3824, and overtakeH5381 him, becauseH3588 the wayH1870 is longH7235, and 14takeH5221 his lifeH5315, though he was not deservingH4941 of deathH4194, sinceH3588 he had not hatedH8130 him previouslyH8543H8032. 7ThereforeH5921H3651, I commandH6680 you, sayingH559, ‘You shall setH914 asideH914 threeH7969 citiesH5892 for yourself.’

8“IfH518 the LordH3068 your GodH430 15enlargesH7337 your territoryH1366, justH3152 as He has swornH7650 to your fathersH1, and givesH5414 you allH3605 the landH776 whichH834 He 16promisedH1696 to giveH5414 your fathersH1-- 9ifH3588 you 17carefullyH6213 observeH8104 allH3605 thisH2088 commandmentH4687 whichH834 I commandH6680 you todayH3117, 18to loveH157 the LordH3068 your GodH430, and to walkH1980 in His waysH1870 alwaysH3605H3117--19then you shall addH3254 threeH7969 moreH5750 citiesH5892 for yourself, besidesH5921 theseH428 threeH7969. 10So innocentH5355 bloodH1818 will not be shedH8210 in the midstH7130 of your landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159, and 20bloodguiltinessH1818 be on you.

11“But 21ifH3588 there is a manH376 who hatesH8130 his neighborH7453 and liesH693 in waitH693 for him and risesH6965 up againstH5921 him and strikesH5221 22him so that he diesH4191, and he fleesH5127 to oneH259 of theseH411 citiesH5892, 12then the eldersH2205 of his cityH5892 shall sendH7971 and takeH3947 him from thereH8033 and deliverH5414 him into the handH3027 of the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818, that he may dieH4191. 132324You shall not pityH2347 him, but 25you shall purgeH1197 the bloodH1818 of the innocentH5355 from IsraelH3478, that it may goH2895 wellH2895 with you.

Laws of Landmark and Testimony

14“26You shall not moveH5472 your neighbor’sH7453 boundaryH1366 mark, whichH834 the ancestorsH7223 have setH1379, in your inheritanceH5159 whichH834 you will inheritH5157 in the landH776 that the LordH3068 your GodH430 givesH5414 you to 27possessH3423.

15“28A singleH259 witnessH5707 shall not riseH6965 up against a manH376 on account of anyH3605 iniquityH5771 or anyH3605 sinH2399 29whichH834 he has committedH2398; on the 30evidenceH6310 of twoH8147 orH176 threeH7969 witnessesH5707 a matterH1697 shall be confirmedH6965. 1631IfH3588 a maliciousH2555 witnessH5707 risesH6965 up against a manH376 to 32accuseH6030 him of 33wrongdoingH5627, 17then bothH8147 the menH376 whoH834 have the disputeH7379 shall standH5975 34beforeH6440 the LordH3068, beforeH6440 the priestsH3548 and the judgesH8199 whoH834 will be in office in thoseH1992 daysH3117. 18The judgesH8199 35shall investigateH1875 thoroughlyH3190, and ifH2009 the witnessH5707 is a falseH8267 witnessH5707 and he has 36accusedH6030 his brotherH251 falselyH8267, 19then 37you shall doH6213 to him justH3152 as he had intendedH2161 to doH6213 to his brotherH251. Thus you shall purgeH1197 the evilH7451 from amongH7130 you. 2038The restH7604 will hearH8085 and be afraidH3372, and will neverH3808 againH5750H3254 doH6213 suchH2088 an evilH7451 thingH1697 amongH7130 you. 21Thus 3940you shall not showH2347 pityH2347: 41lifeH5315 for lifeH5315, 42eyeH5869 for eyeH5869, toothH8127 for toothH8127, handH3027 for handH3027, footH7272 for footH7272.