1
When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations , whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities , and in their houses ;
2
thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land , which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.
3
Thou shalt prepare thee the way , and divide the borders of thy land , which Jehovah thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts , that every manslayer may flee thither.
4
And this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past;
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as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor 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 neighbor , so that he dieth ; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live:
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lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot , and overtake him, because the way is long , and smite him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
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Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee.
8
And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border , as he hath sworn unto thy fathers , and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers ;
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if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day , to love Jehovah thy God , and to walk ever in his ways ; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three :
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that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land , which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance , and so blood be upon thee.
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But if any man hate his neighbor , and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally so that he dieth , and he flee into one of these cities ;
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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 .
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Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the innocent blood from Israel , that it may go well with thee.
14
Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit , in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee 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 a matter be established.
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If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing,
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then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah , before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days ;
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and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness , and have testified falsely against his brother ;
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then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to do unto his brother : so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
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And those that remain shall hear , and fear , and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of thee.
21
And thine eyes shall not pity; life [shall go ] for life, eye for eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot .