Deuteronomy 19:12-21

12 then the leaders of his own town are to send and bring him back from there and hand him over to the next-of-kin avenger, to be put to death.

13 You are not to pity him. Rather, you must put an end to the shedding of innocent blood in Isra'el. Then things will go well with you.

14 "You are not to move your neighbor's boundary marker from the place where people put it long ago, in the inheritance soon to be yours in the land ADONAI your God is giving you to possess.

15 "One witness alone will not be sufficient to convict a person of any offense or sin of any kind; the matter will be established only if there are two or three witnesses testifying against him.

16 "If a malicious witness comes forward and gives false testimony against someone,

17 then both the men involved in the controversy are to stand before ADONAI, before the cohanim and the judges in office at the time.

18 The judges are to investigate carefully. If they find that the witness is lying and has given false testimony against his brother,

19 you are to do to him what he intended to do to his brother. In this way, you will put an end to such wickedness among you.

20 Those who remain will hear about it, be afraid and no longer commit such wickedness among you.

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

Deuteronomy 19:12-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 19

This chapter contains an order to separate three cities of refuge in the land of Canaan, for such that killed a man unawares to flee to, of which those who were guilty of murder purposely were to have no benefit, De 19:1-13, a law is given against removing landmarks, De 19:14, and others concerning witnesses, that they should be more than one; be two, or three, De 19:15, and that a false witness, on conviction, should be punished, De 19:16-21.