Deuteronomy 19 Parallel Bible Translations

Deuteronomy 19 ▼
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1 The LORD your God will destroy all the nations that are living in the land that he's giving you. You will force them out and live in their cities and houses. “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, When 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,
2 When all this is done, set aside three cities in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
3 Provide a route to each of these cities and divide the land that the LORD your God is giving you into three regions. Whoever kills someone may run to one of these cities. You 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. Determine 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.
4 A person who unintentionally kills someone he never hated in the past may run to one of these cities to save his life. “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— This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.
5 Suppose two people go into the woods to cut wood. As one of them swings the ax to cut down a tree, the head flies off the handle, hits, and kills the other person. The one who accidentally killed the other person may run to one of these cities and save his life. as 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, For 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.
6 Otherwise, in a rage the relative who has the authority to avenge the death will pursue him. If the place is too far away, the relative may catch up with him and take his life even though he didn't deserve the death penalty, because in the past he never hated the person he killed. lest 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. Otherwise, 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.
7 This is why I'm commanding you to set aside three cities for yourselves. Therefore I command you, You shall set apart three cities. This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
8 The LORD your God may expand your country's borders as he promised your ancestors with an oath. He may give you the whole land he promised to give them. And 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— If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them,
9 He may do this because you faithfully obey all these commands I am now giving you-to love the LORD your God and follow his directions as long as you live. If this happens, you may add three more cities of refuge to these three. provided 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, because 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.
10 That way, innocent people won't be killed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you won't be guilty of murder. lest 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. Do 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.
11 Suppose someone hates another person, waits in ambush for him, attacks him, takes his life, and runs to one of these cities. “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, But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities,
12 If someone does this, the leaders of your city must send for that person. They must take him from that city and hand him over to the relative who has the authority to avenge the death. He must die. then 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. the 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.
13 They must have no pity on him. The guilt of murdering an innocent person must be removed from Israel. Then things will go well for Israel. Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you. Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.
14 Never move your neighbor's original boundary marker on any property in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. “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. Do 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.
15 One witness is never enough to convict someone of a crime, offense, or sin he may have committed. Cases must be settled based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. “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. One 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.
16 This is what you must do whenever a witness takes the stand to accuse a person falsely of a crime. If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime,
17 The two people involved must stand in the LORD's presence, in front of the priests and judges who are serving at that time. then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. the 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.
18 The judges must make a thorough investigation. If it is found that the witness lied when he testified against the other Israelite, The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite,
19 then do to him what he planned to do to the other person. You must get rid of this evil. then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.
20 When the rest of the people hear about this, they will be afraid. Never again will such an evil thing be done among you. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.
21 Have no pity on him: [Take] a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot. Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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