The Fifth Book of Moses: Deuteronomy

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 19 -

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

When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,

then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

You are to build roads for yourselves

(a)

and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.

Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:

If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.

This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.

And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,

and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.

Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,

the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.

You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.

You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

The Testimony of Two or Three Witnesses

(Matthew 18:15–20)

A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.(b)

If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,

both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.(c)

Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.

You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,(d) hand for hand, and foot for foot.

Footnotes

(a)19:3 Or You are to survey the way

(b)19:15 Cited in Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1

(d)19:21 Cited in Matthew 5:38

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

When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,

you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.

You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

If the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;

and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three.

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.

But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.

You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.

The Testimony of Two or Three Witnesses

(Matthew 18:15–20)

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;

and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,

then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.

Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.

Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.