Deuteronomy 19:1 - Prayer Tents

19When 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,H3068H430H3772H1471H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427H5892H1004 2then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.H914H7969H5892H8432H776H3068H430H5414H3423 3Build 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 someone else may flee there.H3559H1870H1366H776H3068H430H5157H8027H7523H5127 4This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.H1697H7523H5127H2425H5221H7453H1097H1847H8130H8543H8032 5For 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.H935H3293H7453H2404H6086H3027H5080H1631H3772H6086H1270H5394H6086H4672H7453H4191H5127H259H5892H2425 6Otherwise, 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.H1350H1818H7291H310H7523H3588H3824H3179H5381H1870H7235H5221H5315H4941H4194H3588H8130H8543H8032 7This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.H6680H559H914H7969H5892 8If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them,H3068H430H7337H1366H7650H1H5414H776H1696H5414H1 9because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the LORD your God and to walk always in obedience to him—then you are to set aside three more cities.H8104H4687H6213H6680H3117H157H3068H430H3212H3117H1870H3254H7969H5892H7969 10Do 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.H5355H1818H8210H7130H776H3068H430H5414H5159H1818 11But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities,H376H8130H7453H693H6965H5221H5315H4191H5127H259H411H5892 12the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.H2205H5892H7971H3947H5414H3027H1350H1818H4191 13Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.H5869H2347H1197H5355H1818H3478H2895 14Do 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.H5253H7453H1366H7223H1379H5159H5157H776H3068H430H5414H3423 15One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.H259H5707H6965H376H5771H2403H2399H2398H6310H8147H5707H6310H7969H5707H1697H6965 16If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime,H2555H5707H6965H376H6030H5627 17the two 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.H8147H582H7379H5975H6440H3068H6440H3548H8199H3117 18The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony,H8199H3190H1875H5707H8267H5707H6030H8267H251 19then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.H6213H2161H6213H251H1197H7451H1197H7130 20The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.H7604H8085H3372H3254H6213H1697H7451H7130 21Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.H5869H2347H5315H5315H5869H5869H8127H8127H3027H3027H7272H7272