| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1"When the LORD your God destroys those nations whose lands he is about to give you, you must dispossess them and live in their cities and houses. | 1“When the LORD your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, you will take over their land and settle in their towns and homes. |
| 2You must reserve three cities within the land that the LORD your God is about to give you to possess. | 2Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the LORD your God is giving you. |
| 3Build roads throughout the land that the LORD your God is providing as an inheritance, and then divide it into three districts so that any killer may flee there. | 3Survey the territory, and divide the land the LORD your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety. |
| 4"Now this is the situation for any killer who flees there to live: suppose he strikes his friend unwittingly, not having hated him previously. | 4“If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety. |
| 5For instance, he may have accompanied his friend to go to a forest to cut trees. Then he swung his axe to cut some wood, but the ax head flew off the handle and hit his friend, so that he died. The killer may flee to one of these cities to live. | 5For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety. |
| 6While the distance may be great and the angry avenger pursues the killer, he may overtake him and kill him, in which case there will be no justice in his death, because he did not hate his friend previously. | 6“If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died. |
| 7Therefore I am commanding you to reserve three cities." | 7That is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities of refuge. |
| 8"Now if the LORD enlarges your territories just as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land that he promised, | 8“And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them, |
| 9and if you are careful to observe all these commands that I am commanding you today—to love the LORD your God and to walk daily in his ways—then add three more cities in addition to these three cities. | 9you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the LORD your God and walk in his ways.) |
| 10You must not shed innocent blood on your land that the LORD your God is about to give you as an inheritance. Otherwise, you'll be guilty of murder." | 10That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people. |
| 11"However, if a person hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and attacks him so that he dies, and then he flees to one of those cities, | 11“But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge. |
| 12then the elders of his own city shall send for him, remove him from there, and deliver him to the related avenger for execution. | 12In that case, the elders of the murderer’s hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person’s avenger to be put to death. |
| 13Have no pity on him, but totally purge the shedding of innocent blood from Israel so that life may go well with you." | 13Do not feel sorry for that murderer! Purge from Israel the guilt of murdering innocent people; then all will go well with you. Concern for Justice |
| 14"When you inherit the land that the LORD your God is about to give you, don't move your neighbor's boundary marker from where it was placed long ago." | 14“When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property. |
| 15"The testimony of one person alone is not to suffice to convict anyone of any iniquity, sin, or guilt. But the matter will stand on the testimony of two or three witnesses. | 15“You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. |
| 16When a malicious witness takes the stand against a man and accuses him, | 16“If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, |
| 17then both must stand with their dispute in the LORD's presence, the priests, and the judges at that time. | 17then both the accuser and accused must appear before the LORD by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. |
| 18The judges will investigate thoroughly. If the false witness lies in testifying against his relative, | 18The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, |
| 19do to him just as he intended to do to his relative. By doing this you will purge evil from your midst. | 19you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you. |
| 20When others hear of this, they will be afraid and will not do such an evil deed again in your midst. | 20Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing. |
| 21Your eyes must not show pity—life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot." | 21You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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