1 Quando o Senhor, teu Deus, eliminar as nações cuja terra te dará o Senhor, teu Deus, e as desapossares e morares nas suas cidades e nas suas casas, 2 três cidades separarás no meio da tua terra que te dará o Senhor, teu Deus, para a possuíres. 3 Preparar-te-ás o caminho e os limites da tua terra que te fará possuir o Senhor, teu Deus, dividirás em três; e isto será para que nelas se acolha todo homicida.

4 Este é o caso tocante ao homicida que nelas se acolher, para que viva: aquele que, sem o querer, ferir o seu próximo, a quem não aborrecia dantes. 5 Assim, aquele que entrar com o seu próximo no bosque, para cortar lenha, e, manejando com impulso o machado para cortar a árvore, o ferro saltar do cabo e atingir o seu próximo, e este morrer, o tal se acolherá em uma destas cidades e viverá; 6 para que o vingador do sangue não persiga o homicida, quando se lhe enfurecer o coração, e o alcance, por ser comprido o caminho, e lhe tire a vida, porque não é culpado de morte, pois não o aborrecia dantes. 7 Portanto, te ordeno: três cidades separarás. 8 Se o Senhor, teu Deus, dilatar os teus limites, como jurou a teus pais, e te der toda a terra que lhes prometeu, 9 desde que guardes todos estes mandamentos que hoje te ordeno, para cumpri-los, amando o Senhor, teu Deus, e andando nos seus caminhos todos os dias, então, acrescentarás outras três cidades além destas três, 10 para que o sangue inocente se não derrame no meio da tua terra que o Senhor, teu Deus, te dá por herança, pois haveria sangue sobre ti.

11 Mas, havendo alguém que aborrece a seu próximo, e lhe arma ciladas, e se levanta contra ele, e o fere de golpe mortal, e se acolhe em uma dessas cidades, 12 os anciãos da sua cidade enviarão a tirá-lo dali e a entregá-lo na mão do vingador do sangue, para que morra. 13 Não o olharás com piedade; antes, exterminarás de Israel a culpa do sangue inocente, para que te vá bem.

14 Não mudes os marcos do teu próximo, que os antigos fixaram na tua herança, na terra que o Senhor, teu Deus, te dá para a possuíres.

15 Uma só testemunha não se levantará contra alguém por qualquer iniquidade ou por qualquer pecado, seja qual for que cometer; pelo depoimento de duas ou três testemunhas, se estabelecerá o fato. 16 Quando se levantar testemunha falsa contra alguém, para o acusar de algum transvio, 17 então, os dois homens que tiverem a demanda se apresentarão perante o Senhor, diante dos sacerdotes e dos juízes que houver naqueles dias. 18 Os juízes indagarão bem; se a testemunha for falsa e tiver testemunhado falsamente contra seu irmão, 19 far-lhe-eis como cuidou fazer a seu irmão; e, assim, exterminarás o mal do meio de ti; 20 para que os que ficarem o ouçam, e temam, e nunca mais tornem a fazer semelhante mal no meio de ti. 21 Não o olharás com piedade: vida por vida, olho por olho, dente por dente, mão por mão, pé por pé.

1 When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; 2 thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it. 3 Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.

4 And this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past; 5 as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor 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 neighbor, so that he dieth; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live: 6 lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. 7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee. 8 And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, 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 this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three: 10 that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

11 But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally so that he dieth, and he flee 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 innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land that Jehovah 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 a matter be established. 16 If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing, 17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days; 18 and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and have testified falsely against his brother; 19 then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to do unto his brother: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee. 20 And those that remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of thee. 21 And thine eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

1 When the LORD your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,

2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

3 Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

4 This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety —anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.

5 For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.

6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.

7 This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.

8 If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them,

9 because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today —to love the LORD your God and to walk always in obedience to him —then you are to set aside three more cities.

10 Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

11 But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities,

12 the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.

13 Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.

14 Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime,

17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.

18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite,

19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.

20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.

21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.