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Deuteronomy 19
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1When 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;
1When the LORD your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, and you take their place and live in their cities and houses;
2thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.
2you must set aside three cities in the center of the land the LORD your God is giving you to own.
3Thou 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.
3You must build roads to them and divide the land the LORD your God is giving you into three regions, so that anyone who kills someone can run there for safety.
4And 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;
4This is the rule for someone who kills a person and flees there to save his life: it must be someone who kills his neighbor accidentally, without having hated him in the past.
5as 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:
5For example, suppose a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood. As he swings his axe to cut down a tree, the axe head flies off the handle and hits his neighbor, killing him. The man may flee to one of these cities and live.
6lest 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.
6Otherwise, the relative who wants to avenge the death might chase him in a fit of rage. If the distance is too far, the avenger might catch him and kill him, even though he didn't deserve to die since he didn't hate the victim.
7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee.
7This is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities.
8And 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;
8If the LORD your God expands your territory as he promised your ancestors, and gives you all the land he said he would give them;
9if 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:
9and if you carefully obey all these laws I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and always live the way he wants—then you must add three more cities of safety to these three.
10that 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.
10Do this so that innocent people are not killed in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, making you guilty of murder.
11But 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;
11But suppose a man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, attacks him, and kills him. If that killer flees to one of these cities;
12then 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.
12the elders of his own hometown must send for him, take him back from that city, and hand him over to the victim’s relative to be put to death.
13Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
13Do not feel sorry for him. You must clear the guilt of shedding innocent blood from Israel so that things will go well for you.
14Thou 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.
14Do not move your neighbor's property marker that was set up by previous generations on the land you will inherit in the country the LORD your God is giving you.
15One 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.
15A single witness is not enough to convict someone of any crime or sin they are accused of. A matter must be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing,
16If a malicious witness steps forward to accuse someone of a crime;
17then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days;
17the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are serving at that time.
18and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and have testified falsely against his brother;
18The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the witness is lying and has made a false accusation against his fellow Israelite;
19then 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.
19then you must do to the liar what he intended to do to the other person. You must remove this evil from among you.