Deuteronomy 19:1 - Prayer Tents

19When GOD, your God, throws the nations out of the country that GOD, your God, is giving you and you settle down in their cities and houses,H3068H430H3772H1471H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427H5892H1004 2you are to set aside three easily accessible cities in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you as your very own.H914H7969H5892H8432H776H3068H430H5414H3423 3Divide your land into thirds, this land that GOD, your God, is giving you to possess, and build roads to the towns so that anyone who accidentally kills another can flee there.H3559H1870H1366H776H3068H430H5157H8027H7523H5127 4This is the guideline for the murderer who flees there to take refuge: He has to have killed his neighbor without premeditation and with no history of bad blood between them.H1697H7523H5127H2425H5221H7453H1097H1847H8130H8543H8032 5For instance, a man goes with his neighbor into the woods to cut a tree; he swings the ax, the head slips off the handle and hits his neighbor, killing him. He may then flee to one of these cities and save his life.H935H3293H7453H2404H6086H3027H5080H1631H3772H6086H1270H5394H6086H4672H7453H4191H5127H259H5892H2425 6If the city is too far away, the avenger of blood racing in hot-blooded pursuit might catch him since it's such a long distance, and kill him even though he didn't deserve it. It wasn't his fault. There was no history of hatred between them.H1350H1818H7291H310H7523H3588H3824H3179H5381H1870H7235H5221H5315H4941H4194H3588H8130H8543H8032 7Therefore I command you: Set aside the three cities for yourselves.H6680H559H914H7969H5892 8When GOD, your God, enlarges your land, extending its borders as he solemnly promised your ancestors, by giving you the whole land he promised themH3068H430H7337H1366H7650H1H5414H776H1696H5414H1 9because you are diligently living the way I'm commanding you today, namely, to love GOD, your God, and do what he tells you all your life; and when that happens, then add three more to these three citiesH8104H4687H6213H6680H3117H157H3068H430H3212H3117H1870H3254H7969H5892H7969 10so that there is no chance of innocent blood being spilled in your land. GOD, your God, is giving you this land as an inheritance—you don't want to pollute it with innocent blood and bring bloodguilt upon yourselves.H5355H1818H8210H7130H776H3068H430H5414H5159H1818 11On the other hand, if a man with a history of hatred toward his neighbor waits in ambush, then jumps him, mauls and kills him, and then runs to one of these cities, that's a different story.H376H8130H7453H693H6965H5221H5315H4191H5127H259H411H5892 12The elders of his own city are to send for him and have him brought back. They are to hand him over to the avenger of blood for execution.H2205H5892H7971H3947H5414H3027H1350H1818H4191 13Don't feel sorry for him. Clean out the pollution of wrongful murder from Israel so that you'll be able to live well and breathe clean air.H5869H2347H1197H5355H1818H3478H2895 14Don't move your neighbor's boundary markers, the longstanding landmarks set up by your pioneer ancestors defining their property.H5253H7453H1366H7223H1379H5159H5157H776H3068H430H5414H3423 15You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case.H259H5707H6965H376H5771H2403H2399H2398H6310H8147H5707H6310H7969H5707H1697H6965 16If a hostile witness stands to accuse someone of a wrong,H2555H5707H6965H376H6030H5627 17then both parties involved in the quarrel must stand in the Presence of GOD before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.H8147H582H7379H5975H6440H3068H6440H3548H8199H3117 18The judges must conduct a careful investigation; if the witness turns out to be a false witness and has lied against his fellow Israelite,H8199H3190H1875H5707H8267H5707H6030H8267H251 19give him the same medicine he intended for the other party. Clean the polluting evil from your company.H6213H2161H6213H251H1197H7451H1197H7130 20People will hear of what you've done and be impressed; that will put a stop to this kind of evil among you.H7604H8085H3372H3254H6213H1697H7451H7130 21Don't feel sorry for the person: It's life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.H5869H2347H5315H5315H5869H5869H8127H8127H3027H3027H7272H7272