CHAPTER 19
When
the LORD
your God
has cut off
the nations
whose land
He
is giving you,
so that you drive them out
and settle
in their cities
and houses,
then you are to set apart
for yourselves
three
cities
within
the land
that
the LORD
your God
is giving
you to possess.
You are to build
roads
for yourselves
and divide into three regions
the land
which
the LORD
your God
is giving you as an inheritance,
so that any
manslayer
can flee
to these cities.
Now this
is the situation
regarding the manslayer
who
flees
to one of these cities
to save his life,
having killed
his neighbor
accidentally,
without
intending to harm him:
If
he goes
into the forest
with
his neighbor
to cut
timber
and swings
his ax
to chop down
a tree,
but the blade flies off
the handle
and strikes
and kills
his neighbor,
he
may flee
to
one
of these
cities
to save his life.
Otherwise,
the avenger
of blood
might pursue
the manslayer
in a rage,
overtake him
since the distance
is great,
and strike
him dead
though he did not
deserve
to die,
since
he
did not
intend any harm.
And if
the LORD
your God
enlarges
your territory,
as
He swore
to your fathers,
and gives
you
all
the land
He promised
them,
and if
you carefully observe
all
these
commandments
I
am giving you
today,
loving
the LORD
your God
and walking
in His ways
at all times,
then you are to add
three
more
cities
to
these
three.
Thus innocent
blood
will not
be shed
in
the land
the LORD
your God
is giving
you as an inheritance,
so that you will not be
guilty of bloodshed.
If, however,
a man
hates
his neighbor
and lies in wait,
attacks
him
and kills him,
and then flees
to
one
of these
cities,
the elders
of his city
must send for him,
bring
him
back,
and hand him over to
the avenger
of blood
to die.
You must show him no pity.
You are to purge
from Israel
the guilt of shedding innocent
blood,
that it may go well with you.
You must not
move
your neighbor’s
boundary marker,
which was set up
by your ancestors
to mark the inheritance
you shall receive
in the land
the LORD
your God
is giving
you to possess.
A lone
witness
is not sufficient
to establish
any
wrongdoing
or
sin
against a man,
regardless of what
offense
he may have committed.
A matter
must be established
by
the testimony
of two
or
three
witnesses.
both
parties
to the dispute
must stand
in the presence
of the LORD,
before
the priests
and judges
who
are
in office
at that
time.
The judges
shall investigate
thoroughly,
and if
the witness
is proven to be a liar
who has falsely
accused
his brother,
Then the rest of the people
will hear
and be afraid,
and they will never
again
do
anything
so
evil
among you.
You must show no pity:
life
for life,
eye
for eye,
tooth
for tooth,
hand
for hand,
and foot
for foot.