1 “ When the Lord your God cuts off the nations, whose land the Lord your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses,

When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations, whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;

2 y ou shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the Lord your God gives you to possess.

you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.

3 Y ou shall prepare the roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God will give you as a possession, so that any manslayer may flee there.

You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land, which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

4 “ Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously—

This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live. Whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn’t hate him in time past;

5 a s when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live;

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies, he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

6 o therwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously.

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.

7 T herefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities for yourself.’

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

8 “ If the Lord your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give your fathers—

If Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;

9 i f you carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways always— then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three.

if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three.

10 S o innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you.

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.

11 “ But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities,

But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

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

13 Y ou shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you. Laws of Landmark and Testimony

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.

14 “ You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.

You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God gives you to possess.

15 “ A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

16 I f a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing,

If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

17 t hen both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.

then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;

18 T he judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely,

and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother;

19 t hen you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

20 T he rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you.

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.

21 T hus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

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