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.
