Deuteronomy 19Deuteronomy19

Berean Standard BibleKing James Version

1. Cities of Refuge

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

2. 1BSBWhen 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,KJVKJV: When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;
3. 2BSBthen you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.KJVKJV: Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
4. 3BSBYou are to build roads for yourselves 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.KJVKJV: Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.
5. 4BSBNow 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:KJVKJV: And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;
6. 5BSBIf 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.KJVKJV: As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour 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 neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
7. 6BSBOtherwise, 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.KJVKJV: Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
8. 7BSBThis is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.KJVKJV: Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.
9. 8BSBAnd if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,KJVKJV: And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;
10. 9BSBand 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.KJVKJV: If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:
11. 10BSBThus 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.KJVKJV: That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
12. 11BSBIf, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,KJVKJV: But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
13. 12BSBthe elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.KJVKJV: Then 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.
14. 13BSBYou must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.KJVKJV: Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
15. 14BSBYou 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.KJVKJV: Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

16. The Testimony of Two or Three Witnesses

    (Matthew 18:15–20)

17. 15BSBA 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.KJVKJV: One 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 the matter be established.
18. 16BSBIf a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,KJVKJV: If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
19. 17BSBboth parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.KJVKJV: Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
20. 18BSBThe judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,KJVKJV: And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
21. 19BSByou must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.KJVKJV: Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
22. 20BSBThen the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.KJVKJV: And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
23. 21BSBYou must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.KJVKJV: And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.