19"After the LORD your God has destroyed the people whose land he is giving you and after you have taken their cities and houses and settled there,H3068H430H3772H1471H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427H5892H10042divide the territory into three parts, each with a city that can be easily reached.H914H7969H5892H8432H776H3068H430H5414H34233Then any of you that kill will be able to escape to one of them for protection.H3559H1870H1366H776H3068H430H5157H8027H7523H51274If you accidentally kill someone who is not your enemy, you may escape to any of these cities and be safe.H1697H7523H5127H2425H5221H7453H1097H1847H8130H8543H80325For example, if two of you go into the forest together to cut wood and if, as one of you is chopping down a tree, the ax head comes off the handle and kills the other, you can run to one of those three cities and be safe.H935H3293H7453H2404H6086H3027H5080H1631H3772H6086H1270H5394H6086H4672H7453H4191H5127H259H5892H24256If there were only one city, the distance to it might be too great, and the relative who is responsible for taking revenge for the killing might catch you and angrily kill an innocent person. After all, it was by accident that you killed someone who was not your enemy.H1350H1818H7291H310H7523H3588H3824H3179H5381H1870H7235H5221H5315H4941H4194H3588H8130H8543H80327This is why I order you to set aside three cities.H6680H559H914H7969H58928"When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he told your ancestors he would, and gives you all the land he has promised,H3068H430H7337H1366H7650H1H5414H776H1696H5414H19then you are to select three more cities. (He will give you this land if you do everything that I command you today and if you love the LORD your God and live according to his teachings.)H8104H4687H6213H6680H3117H157H3068H430H3212H3117H1870H3254H7969H5892H796910Do this, so that innocent people will not die and so that you will not be guilty of putting them to death in the land that the LORD is giving you.H5355H1818H8210H7130H776H3068H430H5414H5159H181811"But suppose you deliberately murder your enemy in cold blood and then escape to one of those cities for protection.H376H8130H7453H693H6965H5221H5315H4191H5127H259H411H589212In that case, the leaders of your own town are to send for you and hand you over to the relative responsible for taking revenge for the murder, so that you may be put to death.H2205H5892H7971H3947H5414H3027H1350H1818H419113No mercy will be shown to you. Israel must rid itself of murderers, so that all will go well.H5869H2347H1197H5355H1818H3478H2895
Ancient Property Lines
14"Do not move your neighbor's property line, established long ago in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.H5253H7453H1366H7223H1379H5159H5157H776H3068H430H5414H3423
Concerning Witnesses
15"One witness is not enough to convict someone of a crime; at least two witnesses are necessary to prove that someone is guilty.H259H5707H6965H376H5771H2403H2399H2398H6310H8147H5707H6310H7969H5707H1697H696516If any of you try to harm another by false accusations,H2555H5707H6965H376H6030H562717both of you are to go to the one place of worship and be judged by the priests and judges who are then in office.H8147H582H7379H5975H6440H3068H6440H3548H8199H311718The judges will investigate the case thoroughly; and if you have made a false accusation,H8199H3190H1875H5707H8267H5707H6030H8267H25119you are to receive the punishment the accused would have received. In this way your nation will get rid of this evil.H6213H2161H6213H251H1197H7451H1197H713020Then everyone else will hear what happened; they will be afraid, and no one will ever again do such an evil thing.H7604H8085H3372H3254H6213H1697H7451H713021In such cases show no mercy; the punishment is to be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.H5869H2347H5315H5315H5869H5869H8127H8127H3027H3027H7272H7272