Deuteronomy 19 :: American Standard Version (ASV)

Cities of Refuge

(Num 35:9–28; Jos 20:1–9 )

Deu 19:1When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

Deu 19:2

Deu 19:2thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Deu 19:3

Deu 19:3Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.

Deu 19:4

Deu 19:4And this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past;

Deu 19:5

Deu 19:5as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor 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 neighbor, so that he dieth; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live:

Deu 19:6

Deu 19:6lest 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, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Deu 19:7

Deu 19:7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee.

Deu 19:8

Deu 19:8And 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;

Deu 19:9

Deu 19:9if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three:

Deu 19:10

Deu 19:10that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

Deu 19:11

Deu 19:11But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally so that he dieth, and he flee into one of these cities;

Deu 19:12

Deu 19:12then 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.

Deu 19:13

Deu 19:13Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

Laws of Landmark and Testimony

Deu 19:14

Deu 19:14Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Deu 19:15

Deu 19:15One 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 a matter be established.

Deu 19:16

Deu 19:16If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing,

Deu 19:17

Deu 19:17then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days;

Deu 19:18

Deu 19:18and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and have testified falsely against his brother;

Deu 19:19

Deu 19:19then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to do unto his brother: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

Deu 19:20

Deu 19:20And those that remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of thee.

Deu 19:21

Deu 19:21And thine eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.

Deuteronomy 19 :: American Standard Version (ASV)

Cities of Refuge

Laws of Landmark and Testimony

Pericope