[[Deuteronomy 18|<< Deuteronomy 18]] | [[Deuteronomy|Deuteronomy]] | [[Deuteronomy 20|Deuteronomy 20 >>]] ### Deuteronomy 19 1 WHEN the LORD thy God has cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God gives thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; ^1 2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God gives thee to possess it. ^2 3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God gives thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. ^3 4 ¶ And this _is_ the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso kills his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; ^4 5 As when a man goes into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the helve, and lights upon his neighbor, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: ^5 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. ^6 7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. ^7 8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he has sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; ^8 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: ^9 10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God gives thee _for_ an inheritance, and _so_ blood be upon thee. ^10 11 ¶ But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and flees into one of these cities: ^11 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. ^12 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. ^13 14 ¶ Thou 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 the LORD thy God gives thee to possess it. ^14 15 ¶ One witness shall 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, shall the matter be established. ^15 16 ¶ If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him _that_ _which_ _is_ wrong; ^16 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; ^17 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, _if_ the witness _be_ a false witness, _and_ has testified falsely against his brother; ^18 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. ^19 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. ^20 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. ^21