Deuteronomy 19
1. When the LORD thy God hath cut off * the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth * thee, and thou succeedest * them, and dwellest * in their cities, and in their houses;
2. Thou shalt separate * three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth * thee to possess * it.
3. Thou shalt prepare * thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit * , into three parts * , that every slayer * may flee * thither.
4. And this is the case of the slayer * , which shall flee * thither, that he may live * : Whoso killeth * his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated * not in time past;
5. As when a man goeth * into the wood with his neighbour 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 neighbour, that he die * ; he shall flee * unto one of those cities, and live * :
6. Lest the avenger * of the blood * pursue * the slayer * , while his heart is hot * , and overtake * him, because the way is long * , and slay * him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated * him not in time past.
7. Wherefore I command * thee, saying * , Thou shalt separate * three cities for thee.
8. And if the LORD thy God enlarge * thy coast, as he hath sworn * unto thy fathers, and give * thee all the land which he promised * to give * unto thy fathers;
9. If thou shalt keep * all these commandments to do * them, which I command * thee this day, to love * the LORD thy God, and to walk * ever in his ways; then shalt thou add * three cities more for thee, beside these three:
10. That innocent blood be not shed * in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth * thee for an inheritance,and so blood be upon thee.
11. But if any man hate * his neighbour, and lie in wait * for him, and rise up * against him, and smite * him mortally that he die * , and fleeth * into one of these cities:
12. Then 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 * .
13. Thine eye shall not pity * him, but thou shalt put away * the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well * with thee.
14. Thou shalt not remove * thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set * in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit * in the land that the LORD thy God giveth * thee to possess * it.
15. One 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 the matter be established * .
16. If a false witness rise up * against any man to testify * against him that which is wrong;
17. Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand * before the LORD, before the priests and the judges * , which shall be in those days;
18. And the judges * shall make diligent * inquisition * : and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified * falsely against his brother;
19. Then shall ye do * unto him, as he had thought * to have done * unto his brother: so shalt thou put * the evil away * from among you.
20. And those which remain * shall hear * , and fear * , and shall henceforth * commit * no more any such evil among you.
21. And thine eye shall not pity * ; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
