Deuteronomy 19 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Cities of Refuge

1 “When ^H3588 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 cuts ^H3772 off ^H3772 the nations ^H1471 whose ^H834 land ^H776 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you, and you dispossess ^H3423 them and settle ^H3427 in their cities ^H5892 and in their houses ^H1004,

2 you shall set ^H914 aside ^H914 for yourself three ^H7969 cities ^H5892 in the midst ^H8432 of your land ^H776 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you to [fn]possess ^H3423. 3 You shall prepare ^H3559 the [fn]roads ^H1870 for yourself, and divide ^H8027 into ^H8027 three ^H8027 regions ^H8027 the territory ^H1366 of your land ^H776 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 will give ^H5157 you as ^H5157 an ^H5157 inheritance ^H5157, [fn]so that anyone ^H3605 who commits ^H7523 manslaughter ^H7523 may flee ^H5127 there ^H8033.

4 “Now this ^H2088 is the case ^H1697 of the one who commits ^H7523 manslaughter ^H7523, who ^H834 may flee ^H5127 there ^H8033 and live ^H2421: when ^H834 he [fn]kills ^H5221 his friend ^H7453 [fn]unintentionally ^H1847 H1097, [fn]not hating ^H8130 him previously ^H8543 H8032— 5 as when ^H834 a person goes ^H935 into the forest ^H3293 with his friend ^H7453 to cut ^H2404 wood ^H6086, and his hand ^H3027 [fn]swings ^H5080 the axe ^H1631 to cut ^H3772 down ^H3772 the tree ^H6086, and the iron ^H1270 head slips ^H5394 off ^H5394 the [fn]handle ^H6086 and [fn]strikes ^H4672 his friend ^H7453 so that he dies ^H4191—he may flee ^H5127 to one ^H259 of these ^H428 cities ^H5892 and live ^H2421. 6 Otherwise ^H6435, the avenger ^H1350 of blood ^H1818 might pursue ^H7291 [fn]him [fn]in the heat ^H2552 of ^H2552 his anger ^H2552 H3824, and overtake ^H5381 him because ^H3588 the way ^H1870 is ^H7235 long ^H7235, and [fn]take ^H5221 his life ^H5315, though he was not sentenced ^H4941 to death ^H4194 since ^H3588 he had not hated ^H8130 him previously ^H8543 H8032. 7 Therefore ^H5921 H3651 I command ^H6680 you, saying ^H559, ‘You shall set ^H914 aside ^H914 for yourself three ^H7969 cities ^H5892.’

8 “And if ^H518 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 enlarges ^H7337 your territory ^H1366, just ^H834 as ^H834 He has sworn ^H7650 to your fathers ^H1, and gives ^H5414 you all ^H3605 the land ^H776 that He [fn]promised ^H1696 to give ^H5414 your fathers ^H1— 9 if ^H3588 you [fn]carefully ^H8104 follow ^H6213 all ^H3605 of this ^H2088 commandment ^H4687 which ^H834 I am commanding ^H6680 you today ^H3117, to love ^H157 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430, and to walk ^H1980 in His ways ^H1870 always ^H3605 H3117—then you shall add ^H3254 three ^H7969 more ^H5750 cities ^H5892 for yourself, besides ^H5921 these ^H428 three ^H7969. 10 So innocent ^H5355 blood ^H1818 will not be shed ^H8210 in the midst ^H7130 of your land ^H776 which ^H834 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you as an inheritance ^H5159, and guilt ^H1818 for ^H1818 bloodshed ^H1818 will not be on you.

11 “But if ^H3588 there is a person ^H376 who hates ^H8130 his neighbor ^H7453, and waits ^H693 in ^H693 ambush ^H693 for him and rises ^H6965 up ^H6965 against ^H5921 him and strikes ^H5221 [fn]him so that he dies ^H4191, and he flees ^H5127 to one ^H259 of these ^H411 cities ^H5892, 12 then the elders ^H2205 of his city ^H5892 shall send ^H7971 men and take ^H3947 him from there ^H8033, and hand ^H5414 H3027 him over ^H5414 to the avenger ^H1350 of blood ^H1818, so that he may die ^H4191. 13 [fn]You shall not pity ^H2347 him, but you shall eliminate ^H1197 the guilt ^H1818 for ^H1818 the bloodshed ^H1818 of the innocent ^H5355 from Israel ^H3478, so that it may go ^H2895 well ^H2895 for you.

Laws of Landmark and Testimony

14 “You shall not displace ^H5472 your neighbor’s ^H7453 boundary ^H1366 marker ^H1366, which ^H834 the ancestors ^H7223 have set ^H1379, in your inheritance ^H5159 which ^H834 you will inherit ^H5157 in the land ^H776 that the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 is giving ^H5414 you to [fn]possess ^H3423.

15 “A single ^H259 witness ^H5707 shall not rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 against a person ^H376 regarding any ^H3605 wrongdoing ^H5771 or any ^H3605 sin ^H2399 [fn]that he commits ^H2398; on the [fn]testimony ^H6310 of two ^H8147 or ^H176 three ^H7969 witnesses ^H5707 a matter ^H1697 shall be confirmed ^H6965.

16 If ^H3588 a malicious ^H2555 witness ^H5707 rises ^H6965 up ^H6965 against a person ^H376 to testify ^H6030 against him of wrongdoing ^H5627, 17 then both ^H8147 people ^H376 who ^H834 have the dispute ^H7379 shall stand ^H5975 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068, before ^H6440 the priests ^H3548 and the judges ^H8199 who ^H834 will be in office in those ^H1992 days ^H3117. 18 And the judges ^H8199 shall investigate ^H1875 thoroughly ^H3190, and if ^H2009 the witness ^H5707 is a false ^H8267 witness ^H5707 and he has testified ^H6030 against his brother ^H251 falsely ^H8267, 19 then you shall do ^H6213 to him just ^H834 as ^H834 he had planned ^H2161 to do ^H6213 to his brother ^H251. So you shall eliminate ^H1197 the evil ^H7451 from among ^H7130 you. 20 And the rest ^H7604 of the people will hear ^H8085 and be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, and will never ^H3808 again ^H5750 H3254 do ^H6213 such ^H2088 an evil ^H7451 thing ^H1697 among ^H7130 you. 21 So [fn]you shall not show ^H2347 pity ^H2347: life ^H5315 for life ^H5315, eye ^H5869 for eye ^H5869, tooth ^H8127 for tooth ^H8127, hand ^H3027 for hand ^H3027, and foot ^H7272 for foot ^H7272.