¹ When Jehovah thy God has cut·​·off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God gives thee, and thou possessest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

² thou shalt distinguish three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God gives thee to possess it.

³ Thou shalt prepare for thee the way, and divide·​·in·​·three the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God causes thee to inherit, and it shall be for every manslayer to flee thither.

⁴ And this is the matter of the manslayer, who shall flee thither, that he may live; He who smites his companion without^◦ knowing, and he^◦ hated him not from yesterday and the day before^*;

⁵ and he who comes into the forest with his companion to hew wood, and his hand wields the axe to cut·​·off the wood, and the iron is shaken·​·off^◦ the wood, and finds his companion and he die; he^◦ shall flee to one of those cities, and live;

⁶ lest the redeemer of the blood pursue after the manslayer, for his heart is·​·hot, and overtake him, for the way is multiplied, and smite the soul; whereas he has^◦ not the judgment of death, for he hated him not yesterday or the day·​·before.

⁷ Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt distinguish three cities for thee.

⁸ And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as He has promised to thy fathers, and give to thee all the land of which He spoke to give to thy fathers;

⁹ if thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I^▵ command thee today, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk^◦ in His ways all the days; and thou shalt add three cities more for thee, above these three;

¹⁰ and innocent blood be not shed in the midst^◦ of thy land, which Jehovah thy God gives thee for an inheritance, and there be bloods^* upon thee.

¹¹ But if a man^◦ hate his companion, and set·​·an·​·ambush for him, and rise·​·up against him, and smite him in the soul^* and he die, and he flees to one of these cities;

¹² then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and give him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, that he may·​·die.

¹³ Thine eye shall not spare him, but thou shalt sweep·​·away innocent blood from Israel, and it shall be·​·good for thee.

¹⁴ Thou shalt not take·​·away the border marker of thy companion, which they first set·​·as·​·a·​·border in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that Jehovah thy God gives to 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 sin; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the word rise·​·up.

¹⁶ If a witness for violence rise·​·up against^◦ a man^◦ to answer against^◦ him to turn·​·aside.

¹⁷ and the two men^◦, between whom the strife is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges, who shall be in those^◦ days;

¹⁸ and the judges shall inquire and do·​·well; and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and has answered falsely against^◦ his brother;

¹⁹ and you shall do to him, as^◦ he had schemed to have done to his brother; and thou shalt sweep·​·away the evil from among thee.

²⁰ And those which are·​·left shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth make no more any thing of evil among you.

²¹ And thine eye shall not spare; soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

¹ Thou shalt not take·​·up a vain rumor. Put not thy hand with the wicked to be a witness of violence.