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Deuteronomy 19
1599 Geneva Bible
Deuteronomy 19
1599 Geneva Bible
19 2 The franchised towns. 14 Not to remove thy neighbor’s bounds. 16 The punishment of him that beareth false witness.
1 When the Lord thy God (A)shall root out the nations, whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou shalt possess them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses,
2 (B)Thou shalt separate three cities for thee, in the midst of thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
3 Thou shalt [a]prepare thee the way, and divide the coasts of the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every [b]manslayer may flee thither.
4 ¶ This also is the cause wherefore the manslayer shall flee thither, and live: who so killeth his neighbor ignorantly, and hated him not in time passed:
5 As he that goeth unto the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand striketh with the axe to cut down the tree, if the head slip from the helve, and hit his neighbor that he dieth, the same [c]shall flee unto one of the cities, and live,
6 Lest the (C)avenger of the blood follow after the manslayer while his heart is chafed, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, although he be not [d]worthy of death, because he hated him not in time passed.
7 Wherefore I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt appoint out three cities for thee.
8 And when the Lord thy God [e]enlargeth thy coasts (as he hath sworn unto thy fathers) and giveth thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers.
9 (If thou keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day: to wit, that thou love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways forever) (D)then thou shalt add three cities more for thee besides those three,
10 That no innocent blood be shed within thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, [f]lest blood be upon thee.
11 ¶ But if a man hate his neighbor, and lay wait for him, and rise against him, and smite any man that he die, and flee unto any of these cities,
12 Then the [g]Elders of his city shall send and fet him thence, and deliver him to the hands of the avenger of the blood, that he may die.
13 Thine [h]eye shall not spare him, but thou shalt put away the cry of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
14 ¶ Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s mark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, that thou shalt inherit in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
15 ¶ (E)One witness shall not rise against a man for any trespass, or for any sin, or for any fault that he offendeth in, (F)but at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be stablished.
16 ¶ If a false witness rise up against a man to accuse him of trespass,
17 Then both the men which strive together, shall stand before the [i]Lord, even before the Priests and the Judges, which shall be in those days.
18 And the Judges shall make diligent inquisition: and if the witness be found false, and hath given false witness against his brother,
19 (G)Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to do unto his brother: so thou shalt take evil away forth of the midst of thee.
20 And the rest shall hear this, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such wickedness among you.
21 Therefore thine eye shall have no compassion, but (H)life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 19:3 Make an open and ready way.
- Deuteronomy 19:3 Which killeth against his will, and bare no hatred in his heart.
- Deuteronomy 19:5 That murder be not committed upon murder.
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Or, cannot be judged to death.
- Deuteronomy 19:8 When thou goest over Jordan to possess the whole land of Canaan.
- Deuteronomy 19:10 Lest thou be punished for innocent blood.
- Deuteronomy 19:12 The Magistrates.
- Deuteronomy 19:13 Then whosoever pardoneth murder, offendeth against the word of God.
- Deuteronomy 19:17 God’s presence is where his true ministers are assembled.
Deuteronomy 19
New International Version
Deuteronomy 19
New International Version
Cities of Refuge(A)
19 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,(B) 2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3 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 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 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, the avenger of blood(C) 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 command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
8 If the Lord your God enlarges your territory,(D) as he promised(E) on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, 9 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(F)—then you are to set aside three more cities. 10 Do this so that innocent blood(G) 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.(H)
11 But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor,(I) and then flees to one of these cities, 12 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 Show no pity.(J) You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood,(K) so that it may go well with you.
14 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.(L)
Witnesses
15 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.(M)
16 If a malicious witness(N) takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, 17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges(O) who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation,(P) and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, 19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party.(Q) You must purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid,(R) and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. 21 Show no pity:(S) life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.(T)
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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