⁶ All the elders of the city nearest to the victim will wash their hands by the stream over the young cow whose neck has been broken. ⁷ They will declare, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood; our eyes did not see it. ⁸ Lord, wipe away the guilt of your people Israel whom you redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.’ Then the responsibility for bloodshed will be wiped away from them.

⁵ “Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”

⁴ “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.

“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!”

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”^(A)