1When the Lord your God wipes out the nations and gives you their land, and you settle in their cities and homes;

2You gotta set aside three cities in the land the Lord your God gives you to own.

3You gotta make a path and split your land into three parts so anyone who messes up can escape there.

4This is for the person who runs there to live: If someone accidentally kills their neighbor, who they didn’t even hate before;

5Like when a dude goes to the woods with his buddy to chop wood, and the axe slips, hitting his friend and he dies; he should run to one of those cities to stay safe.

6Otherwise, the blood avenger might chase him down while he’s heated, and catch him since the road's long, and then he could die; he didn’t deserve that since he didn’t hate him before.

7So I’m telling you, set aside three cities for yourself.

8And if the Lord your God expands your territory like he promised your ancestors, giving you all the land he said he would;

9If you keep all these commands I’m giving you today, love the Lord your God, and walk in his ways; then you’ll get three more cities besides these.

10So innocent blood isn’t spilled in your land, which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, or else that blood will be on you.

11But if someone hates their neighbor, sets a trap for them, and kills them, and then runs to one of those cities;

12Then the elders of that city will send for him and hand him over to the blood avenger so he can face the consequences.

13Don’t feel bad for him, but remove the guilt of innocent blood from Israel so it goes well for you.

14Don’t mess with your neighbor’s property line that was set a long time ago in your inheritance, which you’ll get in the land the Lord your God gives you.

15One witness can’t take down a guy for any wrongdoing; it’s gotta be two or three witnesses to confirm the matter.

16If a fake witness stands up against someone to spread lies;

17Then both guys involved in the dispute should show up before the Lord, with the priests and judges from those days;

18And the judges will investigate carefully: if the witness is fake and lied against his brother;

19Then you’ll do to him what he tried to do to his brother: so you can get rid of the evil among you.

20And those who are left will hear and be scared, and won’t do any more evil like that among you.

21And don’t feel sorry; life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

1When 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;

2Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3Thou 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.

4And 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;

5As 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:

6Lest 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.

7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

8And 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;

9If 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:

10That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

11But 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:

12Then 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.

13Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

14Thou 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.

15One 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.

16If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

17Then 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;

18And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19Then 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.

20And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.