19 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.