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When Jehovah thy God hath cut off the nations whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou hast dispossessed them, and dwellest in their cities and in their houses ,
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thou shalt separate three cities for thyself in the midst of thy land , which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess.
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Thou shalt prepare thee the way , and divide the territory of thy land , which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts , so that every slayer may flee thither.
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And this is the case of the slayer who shall flee thither that he may live: he that smiteth his neighbour unwittingly, whom he hated not previously;
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as when he 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 iron slippeth from the handle, and lighteth upon his neighbour , that he die ; such an one 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, since he hated him not previously.
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Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thyself.
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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 keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day , to love Jehovah thy God , and to walk in his ways continually), then shalt thou add three cities more for thyself to 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 blood come not upon thee.
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But if a man hate his neighbour , and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die , 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 spare him; and thou shalt put away innocent blood from Israel , that it may be well with thee.
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Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have fixed in thine inheritance , which thou shalt inherit in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess.
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One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity , and 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 an offence;
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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 thorough inquiry; and if the witness be a false witness , and he have testified falsely against his brother ,
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then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother ; and thou shalt put evil away from thy midst.
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And those that remain shall hear , and fear , and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in thy midst.
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And thine eye shall not spare: life for life, eye for eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot .