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,H3068H430H3772H1471H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427H5892H10042then set aside for yourselves three cities centrally located in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.H914H7969H5892H8432H776H3068H430H5414H34233Build 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.H3559H1870H1366H776H3068H430H5157H8027H7523H51274This 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.H1697H7523H5127H2425H5221H7453H1097H1847H8130H8543H80325For 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.H935H3293H7453H2404H6086H3027H5080H1631H3772H6086H1270H5394H6086H4672H7453H4191H5127H259H5892H24256Otherwise, 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.H1350H1818H7291H310H7523H3588H3824H3179H5381H1870H7235H5221H5315H4941H4194H3588H8130H8543H80327This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.H6680H559H914H7969H58928If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and gives you the whole land he promised them,H3068H430H7337H1366H7650H1H5414H776H1696H5414H19because 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.H8104H4687H6213H6680H3117H157H3068H430H3212H3117H1870H3254H7969H5892H796910Do 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.H5355H1818H8210H7130H776H3068H430H5414H5159H181811But if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,H376H8130H7453H693H6965H5221H5315H4191H5127H259H411H589212the 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.H2205H5892H7971H3947H5414H3027H1350H1818H419113Show him no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.H5869H2347H1197H5355H1818H3478H289514Do 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
Witnesses
15One 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.H259H5707H6965H376H5771H2403H2399H2398H6310H8147H5707H6310H7969H5707H1697H696516If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime,H2555H5707H6965H376H6030H562717the 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.H8147H582H7379H5975H6440H3068H6440H3548H8199H311718The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother,H8199H3190H1875H5707H8267H5707H6030H8267H25119then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you.H6213H2161H6213H251H1197H7451H1197H713020The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.H7604H8085H3372H3254H6213H1697H7451H713021Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.H5869H2347H5315H5315H5869H5869H8127H8127H3027H3027H7272H7272