| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1“When the LORD your God destroys the nations whose land he is giving you, you will take over their land and settle in their towns and homes. | 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, |
| 2Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the LORD your God is giving you. | 2then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. |
| 3Survey the territory, and divide the land the LORD your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety. | 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. |
| 4“If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety. | 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: |
| 5For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety. | 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. |
| 6“If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died. | 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. |
| 7That is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities of refuge. | 7This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities. |
| 8“And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them, | 8And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them, |
| 9you must designate three additional cities of refuge. (He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the LORD your God and walk in his ways.) | 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. |
| 10That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people. | 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. |
| 11“But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge. | 11If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, |
| 12In that case, the elders of the murderer’s hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person’s avenger to be put to death. | 12the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. |
| 13Do not feel sorry for that murderer! Purge from Israel the guilt of murdering innocent people; then all will go well with you. Concern for Justice | 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. |
| 14“When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property. | 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. |
| 15“You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. | 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. |
| 16“If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, | 16If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, |
| 17then both the accuser and accused must appear before the LORD by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. | 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. |
| 18The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, | 18The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, |
| 19you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you. | 19you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you. |
| 20Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing. | 20Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. |
| 21You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. | 21You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot. |
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