19:1 When the LORD your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,
19:2 then set aside for yourselves three cities centrally located in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
19:3 Build roads to them and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that anyone who kills a man may flee there.
19:4 This is the rule concerning the man who kills another and flees there to save his life–one who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.
19:5 For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.
19:6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.
19:7 This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
19:8 If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and gives you the whole land he promised them,
19:9 because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today–to love the LORD your God and to walk always in his ways–then you are to set aside three more cities.
19:10 Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
19:11 But if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
19:12 the elders of his town shall send for him, bring him back from the city, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
19:13 Show him no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.
19:14 Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
19:15 One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
19:16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime,
19:17 the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.
19:18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother,
19:19 then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you.
19:20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.
19:21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
19:1 When Jehovah your God cuts off the nations whose land Jehovah your God is giving you and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,
19:2 You shall set apart three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which Jehovah your God is giving you to possess.
19:3 You shall survey the distances for yourself and divide into three parts the territory of your land, which Jehovah your God will give you as an inheritance, so that every manslayer may flee there.
19:4 And this shall be the case of the manslayer who flees there and lives: He who slays his neighbor without intent and did not hate him previously ?
19:5 As when a man goes with his neighbor into the forest to cut wood, and his hand goes to cut the tree with an axe, and the iron axehead slips off the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies ? he shall flee to one of these cities and live;
19:6 Lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart rages, and he overtake him because the distance is long and slay him; though he is not worthy of death, for he did not hate him previously.
19:7 Therefore I am commanding you, saying, You shall set apart three cities for yourself.
19:8 And if Jehovah your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give to your fathers;
19:9 If you are certain to do all this commandment which I am commanding you today, to love Jehovah your God and to walk in His ways always; then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three,
19:10 That innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of your land, which Jehovah your God is giving you as an inheritance, and guilt for blood be upon you.
19:11 But if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, and he rises up against him and slays him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities;
19:12 Then the elders of his city shall send men and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, so that he may die.
19:13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.
19:14 You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which your ancestors have set, in your inheritance, which you will inherit in the land which Jehovah your God is giving you to possess.
19:15 One witness only shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin which he has committed; at the word of two witnesses or at the word of three witnesses shall a matter be established.
19:16 If a malicious witness rises up against a man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
19:17 The two men who have the dispute shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who are serving in those days.
19:18 And the judges shall investigate thoroughly; and if indeed the witness is a false witness, if he has testified falsely against his brother,
19:19 You shall do to him as he intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall utterly remove the evil from your midst.
19:20 And those who remain will hear and will fear and will never again do anything like this evil thing in your midst.
19:21 And your eye shall not pity: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.