1 When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, 2 you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess. 3 You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there. 4 This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past— 5 as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live. 6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past. 7 Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves. 8 If Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers; 9 and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three. 10 This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you. 11 But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities; 12 then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.

14 You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God gives you to possess.

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. 16 If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, 17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; 18 and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you. 20 Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you. 21 Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

1 When the LORD thy God has cut off the Gentiles whose land the LORD thy God gives thee, and thou hast inherited them and dost dwell 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 gives thee to inherit.

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way and divide the borders of thy land, which the LORD thy God gives thee to inherit, into three parts, so that every murderer may flee there.

4 And this [is] the case of the murderer who is to flee there, that he may live: whoever kills his neighbour by mistake, whom he hated not in time past;

5 and he who went into the woods with his neighbour to cut firewood and his hand fetched a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree and the head slipped from the handle and lighted upon his neighbour so that he died, he shall flee unto one of those cities and live,

6 lest the avenger of the blood pursue the murderer, 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 Therefore, I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

8 And if the LORD thy God enlarges thy borders, as he has sworn unto thy fathers, and gives thee all the land which he was to give unto thy fathers,

9 when thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day: to love the LORD thy God, and to walk all the days in his ways, then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three,

10 that innocent blood not be shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God gives thee [for] an inheritance, and [the] blood shall [not] be upon thee.

11 But when any man hates his neighbour and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and smites him mortally that he dies and flees into one of these cities,

12 then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, and he shall 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 reduce thy neighbour's border, which those of old time have marked in thine inheritance, which thou shalt possess in the land that the LORD thy God gives thee to inherit.

15 One witness shall not be valid against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin which he should commit. At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 When a false witness rises up against any man to testify rebellion against him,

17 then both the men, between whom the controversy [is], shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, who shall be in those days;

18 and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and, behold, [if] the witness [is] a false witness [and] has 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 who remain shall hear and fear and shall never again commit 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.: