Parallel Bible results for "deuteronomy 19"

Deuteronomy 19

New Revised Standard NRS

1 When the Lord your God has cut off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you have dispossessed them and settled in their towns and in their houses,

2 you shall set apart three cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

3 You shall calculate the distances and divide into three regions the land that the Lord your God gives you as a possession, so that any homicide can flee to one of them.

4 Now this is the case of a homicide who might flee there and live, that is, someone who has killed another person unintentionally when the two had not been at enmity before:

5 Suppose someone goes into the forest with another to cut wood, and when one of them swings the ax to cut down a tree, the head slips from the handle and strikes the other person who then dies; the killer may flee to one of these cities and live.

6 But if the distance is too great, the avenger of blood in hot anger might pursue and overtake and put the killer to death, although a death sentence was not deserved, since the two had not been at enmity before.

7 Therefore I command you: You shall set apart three cities.

8 If the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors—and he will give you all the land that he promised your ancestors to give you,

9 provided you diligently observe this entire commandment that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God and walking always in his ways—then you shall add three more cities to these three,

10 so that the blood of an innocent person may not be shed in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, thereby bringing bloodguilt upon you.

11 But if someone at enmity with another lies in wait and attacks and takes the life of that person, and flees into one of these cities,

12 then the elders of the killer's city shall send to have the culprit taken from there and handed over to the avenger of blood to be put to death.

13 Show no pity; you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may go well with you.

14 You must not move your neighbor's boundary marker, set up by former generations, on the property that will be allotted to you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

15 A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained.

16 If a malicious witness comes forward to accuse someone of wrongdoing,

17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days,

18 and the judges shall make a thorough inquiry. If the witness is a false witness, having testified falsely against another,

19 then you shall do to the false witness just as the false witness had meant to do to the other. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

20 The rest shall hear and be afraid, and a crime such as this shall never again be committed among you.

21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

The Message Bible MSG

1 When God, your God, throws the nations out of the country that God, your God, is giving you and you settle down in their cities and houses,

2 you are to set aside three easily accessible cities in the land that God, your God, is giving you as your very own.

3 Divide your land into thirds, this land that God, your God, is giving you to possess, and build roads to the towns so that anyone who accidentally kills another can flee there.

4 This is the guideline for the murderer who flees there to take refuge: He has to have killed his neighbor without premeditation and with no history of bad blood between them.

5 For instance, a man goes with his neighbor into the woods to cut a tree; he swings the ax, the head slips off the handle and hits his neighbor, killing him. He may then flee to one of these cities and save his life.

6 If the city is too far away, the avenger of blood racing in hot-blooded pursuit might catch him since it's such a long distance, and kill him even though he didn't deserve it. It wasn't his fault. There was no history of hatred between them.

7 Therefore I command you: Set aside the three cities for yourselves.

8 When God, your God, enlarges your land, extending its borders as he solemnly promised your ancestors, by giving you the whole land he promised them

9 because you are diligently living the way I'm commanding you today, namely, to love God, your God, and do what he tells you all your life; and when that happens, then add three more to these three cities

10 so that there is no chance of innocent blood being spilled in your land. God, your God, is giving you this land as an inheritance - you don't want to pollute it with innocent blood and bring bloodguilt upon yourselves.

11 On the other hand, if a man with a history of hatred toward his neighbor waits in ambush, then jumps him, mauls and kills him, and then runs to one of these cities, that's a different story.

12 The elders of his own city are to send for him and have him brought back. They are to hand him over to the avenger of blood for execution.

13 Don't feel sorry for him. Clean out the pollution of wrongful murder from Israel so that you'll be able to live well and breathe clean air.

14 Don't move your neighbor's boundary markers, the longstanding landmarks set up by your pioneer ancestors defining their property.

15 You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case.

16 If a hostile witness stands to accuse someone of a wrong,

17 then both parties involved in the quarrel must stand in the Presence of God before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

18 The judges must conduct a careful investigation; if the witness turns out to be a false witness and has lied against his fellow Israelite,

19 give him the same medicine he intended for the other party. Clean the polluting evil from your company.

20 People will hear of what you've done and be impressed; that will put a stop to this kind of evil among you.

21 Don't feel sorry for the person: It's life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.