1 W hen Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

“When the Lord your God has cut off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

2 t hou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.

you shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

3 T hou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.

You shall prepare roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, that any manslayer may flee there.

4 A nd this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past;

“And this is the case of the manslayer who flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him in time past—

5 a s when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor, so that he dieth; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live:

as when a man goes to the woods with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live;

6 l est the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past.

7 W herefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee.

Therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall separate three cities for yourself.’

8 A nd if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

“Now if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers,

9 i f thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three:

and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk always in His ways, then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three,

10 t hat innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you.

11 B ut if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally so that he dieth, and he flee into one of these cities;

“But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities,

12 t hen the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

13 T hine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you. Property Boundaries

14 T hou shalt not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.

“You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess. The Law Concerning Witnesses

15 O ne witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.

16 I f an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing,

If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

17 t hen both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days;

then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.

18 a nd the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and have testified falsely against his brother;

And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother,

19 t hen shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to do unto his brother: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you.

20 A nd those that remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of thee.

And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.

21 A nd thine eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.