| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1When 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, | 1When the LORD your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, |
| 2then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. | 2then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess. |
| 3You 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. | 3Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities. |
| 4Now 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: | 4This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety--anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. |
| 5If 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. | 5For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. |
| 6Otherwise, 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. | 6Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. |
| 7This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities. | 7This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities. |
| 8And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them, | 8If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, |
| 9and 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. | 9because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today--to love the LORD your God and to walk always in obedience to him--then you are to set aside three more cities. |
| 10Thus 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. | 10Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed. |
| 11If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, | 11But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities, |
| 12the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. | 12the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die. |
| 13You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you. | 13Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you. |
| 14You 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. | 14Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess. |
| 15A 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. | 15One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. |
| 16If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, | 16If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, |
| 17both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. | 17the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. |
| 18The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, | 18The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, |
| 19you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you. | 19then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you. |
| 20Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. | 20The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. |
| 21You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot. | 21Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. |
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