MLV(i)
1 When Jehovah your God will cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah your God gives you and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,
2 you will set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which Jehovah your God gives you to possess it.
3 You will prepare for you the way and divide the borders of your land, which Jehovah your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.
4 And this is the case of the manslayer, who will flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unawares and did not hate him in time past, 5 as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree and the head slips from the helve and lands upon his neighbor, so that he dies, he will flee to 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 kill* him mortally, and he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he did not hate him in time past.
7 Therefore I command you, saying, You will set apart three cities for you. 8 And if Jehovah your God enlarge your border, as he has sworn to your fathers and give you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers, 9 if you will keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love Jehovah your God and to walk ever in his ways, then will you add three more cities for you, besides these three, 10 that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance and so blood be upon you.
11 But if any man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and slays him mortally so that he dies and he flees into one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city will send and fetch him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Your eye will not pity him, but you will put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
14 You will not remove your neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit, in the land that Jehovah your God gives you to possess it.
15 One witness will not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, will a matter be established.
16 If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing, 17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, will stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that will be in those days,
18 and the judges will make diligent inquiry. And behold, if the witness is a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you* will do to him, as he had thought to do to his brother. So will you put away the evil from the midst of you.
20 And those who remain will hear and fear and will hereafter commit no more any such evil in the midst of you. 21 And your eyes will not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
4 And this is the case of the manslayer, who will flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unawares and did not hate him in time past, 5 as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree and the head slips from the helve and lands upon his neighbor, so that he dies, he will flee to 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 kill* him mortally, and he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he did not hate him in time past.
7 Therefore I command you, saying, You will set apart three cities for you. 8 And if Jehovah your God enlarge your border, as he has sworn to your fathers and give you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers, 9 if you will keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love Jehovah your God and to walk ever in his ways, then will you add three more cities for you, besides these three, 10 that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance and so blood be upon you.
11 But if any man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and slays him mortally so that he dies and he flees into one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city will send and fetch him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Your eye will not pity him, but you will put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
14 You will not remove your neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit, in the land that Jehovah your God gives you to possess it.
15 One witness will not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, will a matter be established.
16 If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing, 17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, will stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that will be in those days,
18 and the judges will make diligent inquiry. And behold, if the witness is a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you* will do to him, as he had thought to do to his brother. So will you put away the evil from the midst of you.
20 And those who remain will hear and fear and will hereafter commit no more any such evil in the midst of you. 21 And your eyes will not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.