Deuteronomy 19 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Statutes About Cities of Refuge

1 “When ^H3588 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 cuts ^H3772 off ^H3772 the nations ^H1471, whose ^H834 land ^H776 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 gives ^H5414 you, and you dispossess ^H3423 them and settle ^H3427 in their cities ^H5892 and in their houses ^H1004,

2 you shall set ^H914 apart ^H914 three ^H7969 cities ^H5892 for yourself in the midst ^H8432 of your land ^H776, which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 gives ^H5414 you to [fn]possess ^H3423. 3 You shall prepare ^H3559 the [fn]roads ^H1870 for yourself, and divide ^H8027 into ^H8027 three ^H8027 parts ^H8027 the territory ^H1366 of your land ^H776 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 will give ^H5157 you to ^H5157 inherit ^H5157, [fn]so that any ^H3605 manslayer ^H7523 may flee ^H5127 there ^H8033.

4 “Now this ^H2088 is the case ^H1697 of the manslayer ^H7523 who ^H834 may flee ^H5127 there ^H8033 and live ^H2421: when ^H834 he strikes ^H5221 down ^H5221 his friend ^H7453 [fn]without premeditation ^H1847 H1097, [fn]not hating ^H8130 him previously ^H8543 H8032— 5 as when ^H834 a man goes ^H935 into the forest ^H3293 with his friend ^H7453 to cut ^H2404 wood ^H6086, and his hand ^H3027 [fn]swings ^H5080 the axe ^H1631 to cut ^H3772 down ^H3772 the tree ^H6086, and the iron ^H1270 head slips ^H5394 off ^H5394 the [fn]handle ^H6086 and [fn]strikes ^H4672 his friend ^H7453 so that he dies ^H4191—he may flee ^H5127 to one ^H259 of these ^H428 cities ^H5892 and live ^H2421; 6 lest ^H6435 the avenger ^H1350 of blood ^H1818 pursue ^H7291 the manslayer ^H7523 when his heart ^H3824 is ^H2552 [fn]angry ^H2552, and overtake ^H5381 him, because ^H3588 the way ^H1870 is ^H7235 long ^H7235, and [fn]strike ^H5221 down his life ^H5315, though he was not deserving ^H4941 of death ^H4194, since ^H3588 he had not hated ^H8130 him previously ^H8543 H8032. 7 Therefore ^H5921 H3651, I am commanding ^H6680 you, saying ^H559, ‘You shall set ^H914 apart ^H914 three ^H7969 cities ^H5892 for yourself.’

8 “Now if ^H518 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 enlarges ^H7337 your territory ^H1366, just ^H834 as He has sworn ^H7650 to your fathers ^H1, and gives ^H5414 you all ^H3605 the land ^H776 which ^H834 He [fn]promised ^H1696 to give ^H5414 to your fathers ^H1— 9 if ^H3588 you [fn]be ^H8104 careful ^H8104 to do ^H6213 all ^H3605 this ^H2088 commandment ^H4687 which ^H834 I am commanding ^H6680 you today ^H3117, to love ^H157 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 and to walk ^H1980 in His ways ^H1870 all ^H3605 your days ^H3117—then you shall add ^H3254 three ^H7969 more ^H5750 cities ^H5892 for yourself, besides ^H5921 these ^H428 three ^H7969. 10 So innocent ^H5355 blood ^H1818 will not be shed ^H8210 in the midst ^H7130 of your land ^H776 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 gives ^H5414 you as an inheritance ^H5159, and bloodguiltiness ^H1818 be on you.

11 “But if ^H3588 there is a man ^H376 who hates ^H8130 his neighbor ^H7453 and lies ^H693 in ^H693 wait ^H693 for him and rises ^H6965 up ^H6965 against ^H5921 him and strikes ^H5221 down [fn]his life so that he dies ^H4191, and he flees ^H5127 to one ^H259 of these ^H411 cities ^H5892, 12 then the elders ^H2205 of his city ^H5892 shall send ^H7971 and take ^H3947 him from there ^H8033 and give ^H5414 him over into the hand ^H3027 of the avenger ^H1350 of blood ^H1818, that he may die ^H4191. 13 [fn]You shall not pity ^H2347 him, but you shall purge ^H1197 the blood ^H1818 of the innocent ^H5355 from Israel ^H3478, that it may go ^H2895 well ^H2895 with you.

Statutes About Boundaries and Witnesses

14 “You shall not move ^H5472 your neighbor’s ^H7453 boundary ^H1366 mark, which ^H834 the ancestors ^H7223 have set ^H1379, in your inheritance ^H5159 which ^H834 you will inherit ^H5157 in the land ^H776 that Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 gives ^H5414 you to [fn]possess ^H3423.

15 “A single ^H259 witness ^H5707 shall not rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 against a man ^H376 on account of any ^H3605 iniquity ^H5771 or any ^H3605 sin ^H2399 [fn]which ^H834 he has committed ^H2398; at the mouth ^H6310 of two ^H8147 or ^H176 three ^H7969 witnesses ^H5707 a matter ^H1697 shall be established ^H6965.

16 If ^H3588 a malicious ^H2555 witness ^H5707 rises ^H6965 up ^H6965 against a man ^H376 to [fn]accuse ^H6030 him of [fn]wrongdoing ^H5627, 17 then both ^H8147 the men ^H376 who ^H834 have the dispute ^H7379 shall stand ^H5975 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068, before ^H6440 the priests ^H3548 and the judges ^H8199 who ^H834 will be in office in those ^H1992 days ^H3117. 18 And the judges ^H8199 shall inquire ^H1875 thoroughly ^H3190, and behold ^H2009, if the witness ^H5707 is a false ^H8267 witness ^H5707 and he has [fn]accused ^H6030 his brother ^H251 falsely ^H8267, 19 then you shall do ^H6213 to him just ^H834 as he had intended ^H2161 to do ^H6213 to his brother ^H251. Thus you shall purge ^H1197 the evil ^H7451 from among ^H7130 you. 20 And the rest ^H7604 will hear ^H8085 and be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 and will never ^H3808 again ^H5750 H3254 do ^H6213 such ^H2088 an evil ^H7451 thing ^H1697 among ^H7130 you. 21 Thus your eye ^H5869 shall not show ^H2347 pity ^H2347: life ^H5315 for life ^H5315, eye ^H5869 for eye ^H5869, tooth ^H8127 for tooth ^H8127, hand ^H3027 for hand ^H3027, foot ^H7272 for foot ^H7272.