Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Joshua 20:1–9)
1 DBY When Jehovah thy God hath cut off the nations whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou hast dispossessed them, and dwellest in their cities and in their houses, BSB BSB: 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,
2 DBY thou shalt separate three cities for thyself in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess. BSB BSB: then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
3 DBY Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the territory of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, so that every slayer may flee thither. BSB BSB: You 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.
4 DBY And this is the case of the slayer who shall flee thither that he may live: he that smiteth his neighbour unwittingly, whom he hated not previously; BSB BSB: 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:
5 DBY as when he 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 iron slippeth from the handle, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; such an one shall flee unto one of these cities, and live; BSB BSB: 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.
6 DBY lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, since he hated him not previously. BSB BSB: 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.
7 DBY Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thyself. BSB BSB: This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.
8 DBY And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers BSB BSB: And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,
9 DBY (if thou keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk in his ways continually), then shalt thou add three cities more for thyself to these three, BSB BSB: 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.
10 DBY that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and blood come not upon thee. BSB BSB: 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.
11 DBY But if a man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and he flee into one of these cities, BSB BSB: If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
12 DBY 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. BSB BSB: the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
13 DBY Thine eye shall not spare him; and thou shalt put away innocent blood from Israel, that it may be well with thee. BSB BSB: 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.
14 DBY Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have fixed in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess. BSB BSB: 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)
15 DBY One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. BSB BSB: 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.
16 DBY If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of an offence; BSB BSB: If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,
17 DBY then both the men between whom the controversy is shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days; BSB BSB: 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.
19 DBY then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother; and thou shalt put evil away from thy midst. BSB BSB: you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.
20 DBY And those that remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in thy midst. BSB BSB: Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.
21 DBY And thine eye shall not spare: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. BSB BSB: You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.