“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.” (Deuteronomy 19:1-21 AV)
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