Deuteronomy:19

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* When the Lord thy God shall have cut off the nations , whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee , and thou hast driven them out , and dwellest in their cities , and in their houses : * Then shalt thou set apart three cities for thyself , in the midst of thy land , which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it . * Thou shalt put in order for thyself the , and divide into three parts the territory of thy land , which the Lord thy God will give thee to inherit , and it shall serve , that every man –slayer may flee thither . * And this is the case of the man –slayer , who shall flee thither , that he may live : Whoso smiteth his neighbor without knowledge , when he hath not been an enemy to him in time past ; * And he that goeth into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood , and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree , and the iron slippeth from the helve , and striketh his neighbor , that he die : this one shall flee unto one of these cities , and live ; * That the avenger of the blood pursue not the manslayer , while his heart is hot , and overtake him , because the way is long , and smite him dead ; whereas he deserveth not a judgment of death , inasmuch as he was not an enemy to him in time past . * Therefore do I command thee , saying , Three cities shalt thou set apart for thyself . * And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy boundary , as he hath sworn unto thy fathers , and give thee all the land which he hath spoken to give unto thy fathers ; * Because thou dost keep all this commandment to do it , which I command thee this day , to love the Lord thy God , and to walk in his ways all the days : then shalt thou add for thyself three cities more , unto these three ; * That innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land , which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance , and blood –guiltiness be brought upon thee . * But if any man be an enemy to his neighbor , and he lie in wait for him , and rise up against him , and smite him mortally so that he die , and he flee unto one of these cities : * Then shall the elders of his city send and fetch him thence , and they shall deliver him into the hand of the avenger of the blood , that he may die . * Thy eye shall not look with pity on him ; but thou shalt put away the innocent blood from Israel , that it may go well with thee . * Thou shalt not remove the landmark of thy neighbor , which they of old time have set , in thy inheritance which thou shalt inherit , in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it . * There shall not rise up one single witness against a man for any iniquity , or for any sin , in any sin that he sinneth : upon the evidence of two witnesses , or upon the evidence of three witnesses , must a case be established . * If a witness of violence rise up against any man to testify against him for any wrong : * Then shall both the men , who have the controversy , stand before the Lord , before the priests and the judges , who shall be in those days ; * And the judges shall inquire diligently ; and , behold , if the witness be a false witness , he hath testified a falsehood against his brother : * Then shall ye do unto him , as he had purposed to do unto his brother ; and thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee . * And those who remain shall hear , and be afraid , and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil thing in the midst of thee . * And thy eye shall have no pity ; but life for life , eye for eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot .

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