" aWhen 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
,
ayou shall set aside
three
cities
for yourself in the midst
of your land
, which
the LORD
your God
gives
you to 1possess
.
"You shall prepare the 1roads
for yourself, and divide
into three
parts
the territory
of your land
which
the LORD
your God
will give
you as a possession
, 2so that any
manslayer
may flee
there
.
" aNow this is the case
of the manslayer
who
may flee
there
and live
: when
he 1kills
his friend
2unintentionally
, 3not hating
him previously
--
as when a man goes
into the forest
with his friend
to cut
wood
, and his hand
1swings
the axe
to cut
down
the tree
, and the iron
head slips
off
the 2handle
and 3strikes
his friend
so that he dies
--he may flee
to one
of these
cities
and live
;
otherwise the avenger
of blood
might pursue
the manslayer
1in the heat
of his anger
, and overtake
him, because
the way
is long
, and 2take
his life
, though he was not deserving
of death
, since
he had not hated
him previously
.
"Therefore, I command
you, saying
, `You shall set
aside
three
cities
for yourself.'
"If the LORD
your God
aenlarges
your territory
, just
as He has sworn
to your fathers
, and gives
you all
the land
which
He 1promised
to give
your fathers
--
if you 1carefully
observe
all
this
commandment
which
I command
you today
, ato love
the LORD
your God
, and to walk
in His ways
always
-- bthen you shall add
three
more
cities
for yourself, besides
these
three
.
"So innocent blood
will not be shed
in the midst
of your land
which
the LORD
your God
gives
you as an inheritance
, and abloodguiltiness
be on you.
"But aif there is a man
who hates
his neighbor
and lies
in wait
for him and rises
up against
him and strikes
1him so that he dies
, and he flees
to one
of these
cities
,
then 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
.
" 1 aYou shall not pity him, but byou shall purge
the blood
of the innocent
from Israel
, that it may go
well
with you.
" aYou 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 1possess
.
" aA single witness
shall not rise
up against a man
on account of any
iniquity
or any
sin
1which
he has committed
; on the 2evidence
of two
or
three
witnesses
a matter
shall be confirmed
.
" aIf a malicious
witness
rises
up against a man
to 1accuse
him of 2wrongdoing
,
then both the men
who
have the dispute
shall stand
abefore
the LORD
, before
the priests
and the judges
who
will be in office in those
days
.
"The judges ashall investigate
thoroughly
, and if
the witness
is a false
witness
and he has 1accused
his brother
falsely
,
then ayou shall do to him just
as he had intended
to do
to his brother
. Thus you shall purge
the evil
from among
you.
" aThe rest will hear
and be afraid
, and will never
again
do
such
an evil
thing
among
you.
"Thus 1 ayou shall not show pity
: blife
for life
, ceye
for eye
, tooth
for tooth
, hand
for hand
, foot
for foot
.