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Deuteronomy
19
When the Lord thy God hath destroyed the nations, whose
land he will deliver to thee, and thou shalt possess
it, and shalt dwell in the cities and houses thereof
:
Thou shalt separate to thee three cities in the midst
of the land, which the Lord will give thee in possession,
Paving diligently the way: and thou shalt divide the
whole province of thy land equally into three parts:
that he who is forced to flee for manslaughter, may
have near at hand whither to escape.
This shall be the law of the slayer that fleeth, whose
life is to be saved: He that killeth his neighbour ignorantly,
and who is proved to have had no hatred against him
yesterday and the day before:
But to have gone with him to the wood to hew wood, and
in cutting down the tree the axe slipped out of his
hand, and the iron slipping from the handle struck his
friend, and killed him: he shall flee to one of the
cities aforesaid, and live:
Lest perhaps the next kinsman of him whose blood was
shed, pushed on by his grief should pursue, and apprehend
him. if the way be too long, and take away the life
of him who is not guilty of death, because he is proved
to have had no hatred before against him that was slain.
Therefore I command thee, that thou separate three cities
at equal distance one from another.
And when the Lord thy God shall have enlarged thy borders,
as he swore to thy fathers, and shall give thee all
the land that he promised them,
(Yet so, if thou keep his commandments, and do the things
which I command thee this day, that thou love the Lord
thy God, and walk in his ways at all times) thou shalt
add to thee other three cities, and shalt double the
number of the three cities aforesaid:
That innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of
the land which the Lord thy God will give thee to possess,
lest thou be guilty of blood.
But if any man hating his neighbour, lie in wait for
his life, and rise and strike him, and he die, and he
flee to one of the cities aforesaid,
The ancients of his city shall send, and take him out
of the place of refuge, and shall deliver him into the
hand of the kinsman of him whose blood was shed, and
he shall die.
Thou shalt not pity him, and thou shalt take away the
guilt of innocent blood out of Israel, that it may be
well with thee.
Thou shalt not take nor remove thy neighbour's landmark,
which thy predecessors have set in thy possession. which
the Lord thy God will give thee in the land that thou
shalt receive to possess.
One witness shall not rise up against any man, whatsoever
the sin or wickedness be: but in the mouth of two or
three witnesses every word shall stand.
If a lying witness stand against a man, accusing him
of transgression,
Both of them, between whom the controversy is, shall
stand before the Lord in the sight of the priests and
the judges that shall be in those days.
And when after most diligent inquisition, they shall
find that the false witness hath told a lie against
his brother:
They shall render to him as he meant to do to his brother,
and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of
thee:
That others hearing may fear, and may not dare to do
such things.
Thou shalt not pity him, but shalt require life for
life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot
for foot. |
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