Chapter 19

When the LORD thy God hath cut off⁵⁵ the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth⁶ thee, and thou succeedest¹ them, and dwellest¹ in their cities, and in their houses;

Thou shalt separate⁵⁵ three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth⁶ thee to possess² it.

Thou shalt prepare⁵⁵ thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit,⁵⁵ into three parts,¹⁴ that every slayer⁶ may flee² thither.

And this [is] the case of the slayer,⁶ which shall flee⁴ thither, that he may live:¹ Whoso killeth⁵⁵ his neighbour ignorantly, ¹⁸⁴⁷ whom he hated⁶ not in time past; ⁸⁰³²

As when a man goeth⁴ into the wood with his neighbour to hew² wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke⁸ with the axe to cut down² the tree, and the head slippeth¹ from the helve, and lighteth upon¹ his neighbour, that he die;¹ he shall flee⁴ unto one of those cities, and live:¹

Lest the avenger⁶ of the blood pursue^{4 310} the slayer,⁶ while his heart is hot,⁴ and overtake⁵² him, because the way is long,⁴ and slay⁵² him; whereas he [was] not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated⁶ him not in time past. ⁸⁰³²

Wherefore I command¹⁸ thee, saying,² Thou shalt separate⁵⁵ three cities for thee.

And if the LORD thy God enlarge⁵⁵ thy coast, as he hath sworn⁸ unto thy fathers, and give¹ thee all the land which he promised¹⁴ to give² unto thy fathers;

If thou shalt keep⁴ all these commandments to do² them, which I command¹⁸ thee this day, to love² the LORD thy God, and to walk² ever ³¹¹⁷ in his ways; then shalt thou add¹ three cities more for thee, beside these three:

That innocent blood be not shed¹¹ in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth⁶ thee [for] an inheritance, and [so] blood be upon thee.

But if any man hate⁶ his neighbour, and lie in wait¹ for him, and rise up¹ against him, and smite⁵² him mortally that he die,¹ and fleeth¹ into one of these cities:

Then the elders of his city shall send¹ and fetch¹ him thence, and deliver¹ him into the hand of the avenger⁶ of blood, that he may die.¹

Thine eye shall not pity⁴ him, but thou shalt put away¹⁴ [the guilt of] innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well¹ with thee.

Thou shalt not remove⁵⁵ thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set¹ in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit⁴ in the land that the LORD thy God giveth⁶ thee to possess² it.

One witness shall not rise up⁴ against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth:⁴ at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.⁴

If a false witness rise up⁴ against any man to testify² against him [that which is] wrong;

Then both the men, between whom the controversy [is], shall stand¹ before the LORD, before the priests and the judges,⁶ which shall be in those days;

And the judges⁶ shall make diligent⁵³ inquisition:¹ and, behold, [if] the witness [be] a false witness, [and] hath testified¹ falsely against his brother;

Then shall ye do¹ unto him, as he had thought¹ to have done² unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away¹⁴ from among you.

And those which remain¹² shall hear,⁴ and fear,⁴ and shall henceforth commit² no more⁵⁵ any such evil among you.

And thine eye shall not pity;⁴ [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.