Deuteronomy 19
Parallel Chapters

Cities of Refuge

(Numbers 35:6-34; Deuteronomy 4:41-43; Joshua 20:1-9)

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1When the LORD your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,1“When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,1"When the LORD your God cuts off the nations, whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses,1When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;1When the LORD your God annihilates the nations whose land He is giving you, so that you drive them out and live in their cities and houses,
2then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.2you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.2you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.2Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.2you are to set apart three cities for yourselves within the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
3Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.3You shall measure the distances and divide into three parts the area of the land that the LORD your God gives you as a possession, so that any manslayer can flee to them.3"You shall prepare the roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the LORD your God will give you as a possession, so that any manslayer may flee there.3Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.3You are to determine the distances and divide the land the LORD your God is granting you as an inheritance into three regions, so that anyone who commits manslaughter can flee to these cities."
4This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety--anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.4“This is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past—4"Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously--4And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;4Here is the law concerning a case of someone who kills a person and flees there to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally without previously hating him:
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5For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.5as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live,5as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies-- he may flee to one of these cities and live;5As when a man 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 head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:5If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings the ax to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies, that person may flee to one of these cities and live.
6Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.6lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.6otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously.6Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.6Otherwise, the avenger of blood in the heat of his anger might pursue the one who committed manslaughter, overtake him because the distance is great, and strike him dead. Yet he did not deserve to die, since he did not previously hate his neighbor.
7This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.7Therefore I command you, You shall set apart three cities.7"Therefore, I command you, saying, 'You shall set aside three cities for yourself.'7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.7This is why I am commanding you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
8If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them,8And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers—8"If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give your fathers--8And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;8If the LORD your God enlarges your territory as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised to give them--
9because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today--to love the LORD your God and to walk always in obedience to him--then you are to set aside three more cities.9provided you are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the LORD your God and by walking ever in his ways—then you shall add three other cities to these three,9if you carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in His ways always-- then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three.9If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:9provided you keep every one of these commands I am giving you today and follow them, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times--you are to add three more cities to these three.
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10Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.10lest innocent blood be shed in your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, and so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you.10"So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you.10That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.10In this way, innocent blood will not be shed, and you will not become guilty of bloodshed in the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
11But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities,11“But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes him fatally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities,11"But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities,11But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:11But if someone hates his neighbor, lies in ambush for him, attacks him, and strikes him fatally, and flees to one of these cities,
12the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.12then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.12then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.12Then 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.12the elders of his city must send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood and he will die.
13Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.13Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you.13"You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.13Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.13You must not look on him with pity but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, and you will prosper."
14Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.14“You shall not move your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in the inheritance that you will hold in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.14"You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.14Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.14You must not move your neighbor's boundary marker, established at the start in the inheritance you will receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess."

The Testimony of Witnesses

(Matthew 18:15-20)

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15One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.15“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.15"A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.15One 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 the matter be established.15One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."
16If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime,16If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing,16"If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing,16If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;16If a malicious witness testifies against someone accusing him of a crime,
17the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.17then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.17then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.17Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;17the two people in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and judges in authority at that time.
18The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite,18The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely,18"The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely,18And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;18The judges are to make a careful investigation, and if the witness turns out to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,
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19then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.19then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.19then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.19Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.19you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you.
20The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.20And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you.20"The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you.20And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.20Then everyone else will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything evil like this among you.
21Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.21Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.21"Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.21And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.21You must not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot."



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