Deuteronomy 19

Cities of Refuge

1“1WhenH3588 the LordH3068 your GodH430 cutsH3772 offH3772 the nationsH1471 whoseH834 landH776 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you, and you dispossessH3423 them and settleH3427 in their citiesH5892 and in their housesH1004, 22you shall setH914 asideH914 for yourself threeH7969 citiesH5892 in the midstH8432 of your landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you to 3possessH3423. 3You shall prepareH3559 the 4roadsH1870 for yourself, and divideH8027 intoH8027 threeH8027 regionsH8027 the territoryH1366 of your landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will giveH5157 you asH5157 anH5157 inheritanceH5157, 5so that anyoneH3605 who commitsH7523 manslaughterH7523 may fleeH5127 thereH8033.

4“6Now thisH2088 is the caseH1697 of the one who commitsH7523 manslaughterH7523, whoH834 may fleeH5127 thereH8033 and liveH2421: whenH834 he 7killsH5221 his friendH7453 8unintentionallyH1847H1097, 9not hatingH8130 him previouslyH8543H8032-- 5as whenH834 a person 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 13him 14in the heatH2552 ofH2552 his angerH2552H3824, and overtakeH5381 him becauseH3588 the wayH1870 isH7235 longH7235, and 15takeH5221 his lifeH5315, though he was not sentencedH4941 to deathH4194 sinceH3588 he had not hatedH8130 him previouslyH8543H8032. 7ThereforeH5921H3651 I commandH6680 you, sayingH559, ‘You shall setH914 asideH914 for yourself threeH7969 citiesH5892.’

8“And ifH518 the LordH3068 your GodH430 16enlargesH7337 your territoryH1366, justH3512 asH3512 He has swornH7650 to your fathersH1, and givesH5414 you allH3605 the landH776 that He 17promisedH1696 to giveH5414 your fathersH1-- 9ifH3588 you 18carefullyH8104 followH6213 allH3605 of thisH2088 commandmentH4687 whichH834 I am commandingH6680 you todayH3117, 19to loveH157 the LordH3068 your GodH430, and to walkH1980 in His waysH1870 alwaysH3605H3117--20then 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 is givingH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159, and 21guiltH1818 forH1818 bloodshedH1818 will not be on you.

11“But 22ifH3588 there is a personH376 who hatesH8130 his neighborH7453, and waitsH693 inH693 ambushH693 for him and risesH6965 upH6965 againstH5921 him and strikesH5221 23him so that he diesH4191, and he fleesH5127 to oneH259 of theseH411 citiesH5892, 12then the eldersH2205 of his cityH5892 shall sendH7971 men and takeH3947 him from thereH8033, and handH5414H3027 him overH5414 to the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818, so that he may dieH4191. 132425You shall not pityH2347 him, but 26you shall eliminateH1197 the guiltH1818 forH1818 the bloodshedH1818 of the innocentH5355 from IsraelH3478, so that it may goH2895 wellH2895 for you.

Laws of Landmark and Testimony

14“27You shall not displaceH5472 your neighbor’sH7453 boundaryH1366 markerH1366, whichH834 the ancestorsH7223 have setH1379, in your inheritanceH5159 whichH834 you will inheritH5157 in the landH776 that the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you to 28possessH3423.

15“29A singleH259 witnessH5707 shall not riseH6965 upH6965 against a personH376 regarding anyH3605 wrongdoingH5771 or anyH3605 sinH2399 30that he commitsH2398; on the 31testimonyH6310 of twoH8147 orH176 threeH7969 witnessesH5707 a matterH1697 shall be confirmedH6965. 1632IfH3588 a maliciousH2555 witnessH5707 risesH6965 upH6965 against a personH376 to testifyH6030 against him of wrongdoingH5627, 17then bothH8147 peopleH376 whoH834 have the disputeH7379 shall standH5975 33beforeH6440 the LordH3068, beforeH6440 the priestsH3548 and the judgesH8199 whoH834 will be in office in thoseH1992 daysH3117. 18And the judgesH8199 34shall investigateH1875 thoroughlyH3190, and ifH2009 the witnessH5707 is a falseH8267 witnessH5707 and he has testifiedH6030 against his brotherH251 falselyH8267, 19then 35you shall doH6213 to him justH3512 asH3512 he had plannedH2161 to doH6213 to his brotherH251. So you shall eliminateH1197 the evilH7451 from amongH7130 you. 20And 36the restH7604 of the people will hearH8085 and beH3372 afraidH3372, and will neverH3808 againH5750H3254 doH6213 suchH2088 an evilH7451 thingH1697 amongH7130 you. 21So 3738you shall not showH2347 pityH2347: 39lifeH5315 for lifeH5315, 40eyeH5869 for eyeH5869, toothH8127 for toothH8127, handH3027 for handH3027, and footH7272 for footH7272.