Deuteronomy 19

1 “When יהוה your God (Elohim) hath cut off the nations, whose land יהוה your God (Elohim) giveth you, and you succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

2 You shalt separate three cities for you in the midst of your land, which יהוה your God (Elohim) giveth you to possess it.

3 You shalt prepare you a way, and divide the coasts of your land, which יהוה your God (Elohim) giveth you 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 dies; 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 you, saying, ‘You shalt separate three cities for you.’

8 And if יהוה your God (Elohim) enlarge your coast, as He hath sworn unto your fathers, and give you all the land which He promised to give unto your fathers;

9 If you shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command you this day, to love יהוה your God (Elohim), and to walk ever in His ways; then shalt you add three cities more for you, besides these three,

10 That innocent blood be not shed in your land, which יהוה your God (Elohim) giveth you for an inheritance, and so blood be upon you.

11 But if any man hates his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he dies, 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 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Yisrael, that it may go well with you.

14 You shalt not remove your neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in your inheritance, which you shalt inherit in the land that יהוה your God (Elohim) giveth you 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 rises 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 יהוה, before the priests (kohanim) 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 you do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother; so shalt you 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 your eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”