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;

“The Lord your God will destroy the nations whose land the Lord your God gives you. You will take their place and live in their cities and in their houses. At that time

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 should set apart three cities for yourself in the land the Lord your God gives you for your own.

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.

Make the roads good that lead to these cities. Divide into three parts the land the Lord your God gives you for your own. Any man who kills another may run to a city and be safe.

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;

“This is the law of the person who kills another and runs to a city to save his life. He might have killed his friend without meaning to, a friend he did not hate in the 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:

He could have gone among the trees with his friend to cut wood. As he was using his ax to cut down a tree, the ax head could have come off the stick and hit his friend, killing him. Then he may run 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.

Or else the one who is angry will want to punish him for the killing, and will catch him and kill him. But the killer should not be put to death, because he had not hated the man in the past.

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

So I tell you, ‘Set apart 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;

The Lord your God will give you even more land, as He has promised your fathers. He will give you all the land which He promised to give 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:

if you are careful to obey all the Laws I tell you today. Love the Lord your God. Walk in His ways always. Then you will add three other cities to 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.

So the person without guilt will not be put to death in the land the Lord your God gives you as a gift. And you will not be guilty of blood.

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 there might be a man who hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, goes against him, and hurts him so that he dies. After this he might run 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 leaders of his city should send men to take him from there and bring him to the one who wants to punish him for the killing 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.

Do not pity him. In Israel be free from the blood of those that are not guilty. Then it will go well with you.

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.

“Do not move your neighbor’s land-mark which the fathers of long ago have set in the land the Lord your God gives you for your own.

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 person will not prove the guilt of a sin another man may have done. It will take two or three people who know about the sin to prove the man’s guilt.

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

If an angry person speaks against a man, saying that he did something wrong,

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 who are arguing should stand before the Lord, in front of the religious leaders and the judges who are at work at that time.

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;

The judges will choose careful questions to ask about the problem. If the man lied who said his brother is guilty,

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 should do to him just what he wanted to do to his brother. In this way you will get rid of the sin 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.

The rest of the people will hear and be afraid. They will never do such a sinful thing among you again.

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.

Do not pity him. It will be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.