Laws Concerning Cities Of Refuge
1 “(A)When the Lord your God cuts off the nations, whose land the Lord your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses,
1 When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;
1 “When the Lord your God annihilates the nations whose land He is giving you,(A) so that you drive them out and live in their cities and houses,
1 "When the LORD your God destroys those nations whose lands he is about to give you, you must dispossess them and live in their cities and houses.
1 “When the Lord your God cuts off (destroys) the nations whose land He is giving you, and you dispossess them and live in their cities and in their houses,
2 (B)you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the Lord your God gives you to (a)possess.
2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
2 you are to set apart three cities for yourselves within the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.(B)
2 You must reserve three cities within the land that the LORD your God is about to give you to possess.
2 you shall designate three cities for yourself in the central area of the land, which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
3 You shall prepare the (b)roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God will give you as a possession, (c)so that any manslayer may flee there.
3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.
3 You are to determine the distances(a) and divide the land the Lord your God is granting you as an inheritance into three regions, so that anyone who commits manslaughter can flee to these cities.(b)
3 Build roads throughout the land that the LORD your God is providing as an inheritance, and then divide it into three districts so that any killer may flee there.
3 You shall prepare and maintain for yourself the roads [to these cities], and divide the territory of your land into three parts, so that anyone who kills another unintentionally may escape there [for asylum].
4 “(C)Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he (d)kills his friend (e)unintentionally, (f)not hating him previously—
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;
4 “Here is the law concerning a case of someone who kills a person and flees there to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally without previously hating him:
4 "Now this is the situation for any killer who flees there to live: suppose he strikes his friend unwittingly, not having hated him previously.
4 “Now this is the case of the offender (manslayer) who may escape there and live [protected from vengeance]: when he kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him previously—
5 as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand (g)swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the (h)handle and (i)strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live;
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 die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
5 If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings the ax to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies, that person may flee to one of these cities and live.
5 For instance, he may have accompanied his friend to go to a forest to cut trees. Then he swung his axe to cut some wood, but the ax head flew off the handle and hit his friend, so that he died. The killer may flee to one of these cities to live.
5 as [for example] when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, but the iron head slips off the wooden handle and hits his companion and he dies—the offender may escape to one of these cities and live;
6 otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer (j)in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and (k)take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously.
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 Otherwise, the avenger of blood in the heat of his anger(c) might pursue the one who committed manslaughter, overtake him because the distance is great, and strike him dead. Yet he did not deserve to die,(d) since he did not previously hate his neighbor.
6 Since hile the distance may be great, the angry avenger may overtake the killer he is pursuing and kill him, in which case there will be no justice in his death, because he did not hate his friend previously.
7 Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities for yourself.’
7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.
7 This is why I am commanding you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
7 Therefore I am commanding you to reserve three cities."
7 Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities [of refuge] for yourself.’
8 “If the Lord your God (D)enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He (l)promised to give your fathers—
8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;
8 If the Lord your God enlarges your territory as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised to give them—
8 "Now if the LORD enlarges your territories just as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land that he promised,
8 “If the Lord your God enlarges your border, as He has sworn to your fathers to do, and gives you all the land which He promised to give to your fathers—
9 if you (m)carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, (E)to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways always—(F)then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three.
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 provided you keep every one of these commands I am giving you today and follow them, loving the Lord your God and walking in His ways at all times—you are to add three more cities to these three.
9 and if you are careful to observe all these commands that I am commanding you today to love the LORD your God and to walk daily in his ways then add three more cities in addition to these three cities.
9 if you keep and carefully observe all these commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God, and to walk [that is, to live each and every day] always in His ways—then you shall add three more cities [of refuge] for yourself, besides these three,
10 So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and (G)bloodguiltiness be on you.
10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
10 In this way, innocent blood will not be shed, and you will not become guilty of bloodshed in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.(C)
10 You must not shed innocent blood on your land that the LORD your God is about to give you as an inheritance. Otherwise, you'll be guilty of murder."
10 so that innocent blood will not be shed [by blood avengers] in your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and blood guilt will not be on you [for the death of an innocent man].
11 “But (H)if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes (n)him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities,
11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
11 But if someone hates his neighbor, lies in ambush for him, attacks him, and strikes him fatally, and flees to one of these cities,
11 "However, if a person hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and attacks him so that he dies, and then he flees to one of those cities,
11 “But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait and ambush for him and attacks him and strikes him down so that he dies, and the assailant escapes to one of these cities,
12 then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
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 the elders of his city must send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood and he will die.
12 then the elders of his own city shall send for him, remove him from there, and deliver him to the related avenger for execution.
12 then the elders of his own city shall send for him and have him taken back from there and turn him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may be put to death.
13 (o)(I)You shall not pity him, but (J)you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.
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 You must not look on him with pity but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, and you will prosper.
13 Have no pity on him, but totally purge the shedding of innocent blood from Israel so that life may go well with you."
13 You shall not pity him [the guilty one], but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, so that it may go well with you.
Boundary Markers
14 “(K)You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God gives you to (p)possess.
14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
14 “You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker,(D) established at the start in the inheritance you will receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
14 "When you inherit the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, don't move your neighbor's boundary marker from where it was placed long ago."
14 “You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary mark, which the forefathers [who first divided the territory] have set, in the land which you will inherit in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
Laws Concerning Witnesses
15 “(L)A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin (q)which he has committed; on the (r)evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.
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.
15 “One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done.(E) A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.(F)
15 "The testimony of one person alone is not to suffice to convict anyone of any iniquity, sin, or guilt. But the matter will stand on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
17 then both the men who have the dispute shall stand (N)before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.
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 the two people in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and judges in authority at that time.
17 then both must stand with their dispute in the LORD's presence, the priests, and the judges at that time.
17 then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office at that time.
18 The judges (O)shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has (u)accused his brother falsely,
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
18 The judges are to make a careful investigation, and if the witness turns out to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,
18 The judges will investigate thoroughly. If the false witness lies in testifying against his relative,
18 The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness, and he has accused his brother falsely,
19 then (P)you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
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 you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you.
19 do to him just as he intended to do to his relative. By doing this you will purge evil from your midst.
19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
20 Then everyone else will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything evil like this among you.(H)
20 When others hear of this, they will be afraid and will not do such an evil deed again in your midst.
20 Those who remain will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you.
21 Thus (v)(R)you shall not show pity: (S)life for life, (T)eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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 You must not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.(I)
21 Your eyes must not show pity life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot."
21 You shall not show pity [to the guilty one]: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.