Deuteronomy 19

1 When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,

2 then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

3 You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.

4 Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:

5 If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.

6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.

7 This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.

8 And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,

9 and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.

10 Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

11 If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,

12 the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.

13 You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.

14 You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

15 A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

16 If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,

17 both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

18 The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

19 you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.

20 Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.

21 You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

1 ¶ When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

4 And this [is] the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he [was] not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance, and [so] blood be upon thee.

11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:

12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away [the guilt of] innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

14 ¶ Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him [that which is] wrong;

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy [is], shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, [if] the witness [be] a false witness, [and] hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21 And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

1 When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, which land the LORD thy God shall give thee to possess them, and to dwell in their cities and in their houses,

2 Thou shalt set apart for thee three cities in the land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3 And thou shalt choose places, and divide the border of thy land, which the LORD thy God shall divide unto thee, into three circles; and thither shall he flee that hath committed manslaughter.

4 And this shall be the thing, that he that hath committed manslaughter may flee, and live: If a man smite his neighbour, not wilfully, and hated him not before,

5 But as if a man went into the woods with his neighbour to cut wood, and took out an axe with his hand to cut down the wood, and the iron came off the handle, and struck his neighbour, and he died; he shall flee one in these cities, and live,

6 Lest the avenger of blood pursue after the slayer, because his heart is heated, and take hold of him, because the way is so far off, and smite his soul, when yet there is no sentence of death upon him, because he hated not before.

7 Therefore I command thee to set apart three cities.

8 And if the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he sware unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he spake to give unto thy fathers

9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments, to do according to them which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk in his ways all the days of thy life, then thou shalt do three cities more unto these three,

10 Lest innocent blood be shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and blood be upon thee.

11 But if a man bear hatred against his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and make himself against him, and smite his soul, and be a creeper in these cities,

12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him from thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

13 Thine eyes shall not spare him: thou shalt put on the innocent blood of Israel, and it shall be well with thee.

14 Thou shalt not drive back thy neighbour's border, which the former have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land which the LORD thy God hath given thee to possess.

15 No single witness shall stand against any man concerning any iniquity or sin, whatsoever sin it be that can be committed: but in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the matter stand.

16 If a wicked witness appear against any man, to testify against him a transgression,

17 Then shall the two men that have a matter together stand before the LORD in the presence of the priests and judges, which shall be at the same time;

18 And the judges shall inquire. And if the false witness hath borne false witness against his brother,

19 Then do unto him as he would have done unto his brother, that thou put away the wicked from thee,

20 That others may hear, and be afraid, and do no more such wicked things under thee.

21 Thine eye shall not spare his. Soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.