Deuteronomy
Chapter 19
1 When God has destroyed the nations whose land God gives you, and you take their place, living in their cities and houses;
2 You must set aside three cities in the middle of your land that God gives you to own.
3 Make a road and split your land that God gives you into three parts so anyone who kills can escape there.
4 This is about the person who accidentally kills someone and runs away to a safe place to stay alive: it’s for someone who kills their neighbor without meaning to and didn’t hate them before.
5 When a man goes to the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and while swinging the axe to chop down the tree, the axe head comes off the handle and hits his neighbor and kills him; the man should run to one of those cities for safety and live.
6 So that the person seeking revenge doesn’t chase the killer while angry, catch him because the distance is far, and kill him, even though the killer didn’t deserve to die as he had no previous hatred towards the victim.
7 So I order you, ‘Set aside three cities for yourself.’
8 If God expands your territory as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land he promised to them;
9 If you follow all these commandments I give you today, to love God and always walk in his ways, then you will have three more cities in addition to the three you already have.
10 Do not let innocent blood be shed in your land, which God gives you as an inheritance, or you will be guilty.
11 If anyone hates their neighbor, plans to harm them, attacks and kills them, and then runs to one of these cities:
12 The leaders of his city will send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the person seeking revenge so that he can be put to death.
13 Do not feel sorry for him, but remove the guilt of innocent blood from Israel so that things will go well for you.
14 Do not move the boundary markers set long ago on the land that is your inheritance, which you will receive in the land God has given you to own.
15 One person alone cannot accuse someone of a wrongdoing or sin; it must be confirmed by the statement of two or three witnesses.
16 If someone lies about another person, saying they did something bad;
17 The two men who disagree will stand before God, in front of the priests and judges at that time.
18 The judges must carefully investigate; and if they find out the witness lied about their brother.
19 Then you must do to him what he planned to do to his brother; this way you will remove the evil from among you.
20 Those left will hear, be afraid, and will not do any more evil like that among you.
21 Do not feel sorry; life must be given for life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.