The cities of refuge.

1 ¶ When² the LORDº thy Godº hath cut offºª² the nations,º whose²² landº the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee, and thou succeedestºª them, and dwellestºª in their cities,º and in their houses;º 2 Thou shalt separateºª threeº citiesº for thee in the midstº of thy land,º which² the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee to possessºª it. 3 Thou shalt prepareºª thee a way,º and divide²² the coastsº of thy land,º which² the LORDº thy Godº giveth thee to inherit,ºª into three parts,¹ª that every² slayerºª may² fleeºª thither.²

The privilege thereof for the manslayer.

4 ¶ And this² [is] the caseº of the slayer,ºª which² shall fleeºª thither,² that he may live:ºª Whoso² killethºª² his neighbourº ignorantly,¹¹²² whom he² hatedºª not² in time¹² past;¹²² 5 As when a man² goethºª into the woodº with² his neighbourº to hewºª wood,º and his handº fetcheth a strokeºª with the axeº to cut downºª the tree,º and the headº slippethºª from² the helve,º and lighteth¹ª upon²² his neighbour,º that he die;ºª he² shall fleeºª unto² oneº of those² cities,º and live:ºª 6 Lest² the avengerºª of the bloodºª pursueºª² the slayer,º¹ª whileº his heartº is hot,ºª and overtakeºª him, because² the wayº is long,ºª and slayºª him;º whereas he [was] not² worthy¹ of death,º² inasmuch asº he² hatedºª him not² in time¹² past.¹²² 7 Wherefore²² I² commandºª thee, saying,ºª Thou shalt separateºª threeº citiesº for thee. 8 And if² the LORDº thy Godº enlargeºª² thy coast,º as² he hath swornºª unto thy fathers,º and giveºª thee² all² the landº which² he promisedºª to giveºª unto thy fathers;º 9 If² thou shalt keepºª² all² these² commandmentsº to doºª them, which² I² commandºª thee this day,º to loveºª² the LORDº thy God,º and to walk¹ª² everº² in his ways;º then shalt thou addºª threeº citiesº more² for thee, beside² these² three:º 10 That innocentº bloodº be not² shedºª inº thy land,º which² the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee [for] an inheritance,º and [so] bloodº be² upon² thee.

11 ¶ But if² any manº hateºª² his neighbour,º and lie in waitºª for him, and rise upºª against² him, and smiteºª him mortallyº that he die,ºª and fleethºª into² oneº of theseº cities:º 12 Then the eldersº of his cityº shall sendºª and fetchºª him thence,²² and deliverºª him into the handº of the avengerºª of blood,º that he may die.ºª 13 Thine eyeº shall not² pityºª² him, but thou shalt put awayºª [the guilt of] innocentº bloodº from Israel,º² that it may go wellºª with thee.

The landmark is not to be removed.

14 ¶ Thou shalt not² removeºª thy neighbour'sº landmark,º which² they of old timeº have setºª in thine inheritance,º which² thou shalt inheritºª in the landº that² the LORDº thy Godº givethºª thee to possessºª it.

Two witnesses at the least.

15 ¶ Oneº witnessº shall not² rise upºª against a manº for any² iniquity,º or for any² sin,º in any² sinº that² he sinneth:ºª at² the mouthº of twoº witnesses,º or² at² the mouthº of threeº witnesses,º shall the matterº be established.ºª

The punishment of a false witness.

16 ¶ If² a falseº witnessº rise upºª against any manº to testifyºª against him [that which is] wrong;º 17 Then bothº the men,¹² between whom² the controversyº [is], shall standºª beforeº the LORD,º beforeº the priestsº and the judges,ºª which² shall be² in those² days;º 18 And the judgesºª shall make diligent¹ª inquisition:ºª² and, behold,² [if] the witnessº [be] a falseº witness,º [and] hath testifiedºª falselyº against his brother;º 19 Then shall ye doºª unto him, as² he had thoughtºª to have doneºª unto his brother:º so shalt thou put¹ª the evil¹ awayºª² from amongº² you. 20 And those which remainºª shall hear,ºª and fear,ºª and shall henceforthºª commitºª no² more² anyº such² evilº amongº you. 21 And thine eyeº shall not² pity;ºª [but] lifeº [shall go] for life,º eyeº for eye,º toothº for tooth,º handº for hand,º footº for foot.º