19"When the LORD your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, you will take over their land and settle in their towns and homes.H3068H430H3772H1471H776H3068H430H5414H3423H3427H5892H10042Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the LORD your God is giving you.H914H7969H5892H8432H776H3068H430H5414H34233Survey the territory, and divide the land the LORD your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety.H3559H1870H1366H776H3068H430H5157H8027H7523H51274"If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.H1697H7523H5127H2425H5221H7453H1097H1847H8130H8543H80325For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety.H935H3293H7453H2404H6086H3027H5080H1631H3772H6086H1270H5394H6086H4672H7453H4191H5127H259H5892H24256"If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died.H1350H1818H7291H310H7523H3588H3824H3179H5381H1870H7235H5221H5315H4941H4194H3588H8130H8543H80327That is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities of refuge.H6680H559H914H7969H58928"And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them,H3068H430H7337H1366H7650H1H5414H776H1696H5414H19you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the LORD your God and walk in his ways.)H8104H4687H6213H6680H3117H157H3068H430H3212H3117H1870H3254H7969H5892H796910That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people.H5355H1818H8210H7130H776H3068H430H5414H5159H181811"But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge.H376H8130H7453H693H6965H5221H5315H4191H5127H259H411H589212In that case, the elders of the murderer's hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person's avenger to be put to death.H2205H5892H7971H3947H5414H3027H1350H1818H419113Do not feel sorry for that murderer! Purge from Israel the guilt of murdering innocent people; then all will go well with you.H5869H2347H1197H5355H1818H3478H2895
Concern for Justice
14"When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone's land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.H5253H7453H1366H7223H1379H5159H5157H776H3068H430H5414H342315"You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.H259H5707H6965H376H5771H2403H2399H2398H6310H8147H5707H6310H7969H5707H1697H696516"If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime,H2555H5707H6965H376H6030H562717then both the accuser and accused must appear before the LORD by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time.H8147H582H7379H5975H6440H3068H6440H3548H8199H311718The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite,H8199H3190H1875H5707H8267H5707H6030H8267H25119you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you.H6213H2161H6213H251H1197H7451H1197H713020Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing.H7604H8085H3372H3254H6213H1697H7451H713021You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.H5869H2347H5315H5315H5869H5869H8127H8127H3027H3027H7272H7272
Dublin, OH
, and divide the land the LORD your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety.H3559
