1 “ 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,

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

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 “ 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—

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 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;

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 l est 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.

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 separate three cities for yourself.’

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

8 “ 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,

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 a nd 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,

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 l est 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.

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 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,

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 bring him from there, and deliver him over to 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 our 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

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 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

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 “ 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.

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

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

17 t hen both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve 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 A nd the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother,

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 as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away 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 A nd those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.

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

21 Y our eye shall not pity: life shall be 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.