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 set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.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.4This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety – anyone who kills a neighbour unintentionally, without malice aforethought.5For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbour to cut wood, and as he swings his axe to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbour and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.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 neighbour without malice aforethought.7This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.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,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.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.11But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbour, and then flees to one of these cities,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.13Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.14Do not move your neighbour’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.
Witnesses
15One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offence they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.16If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime,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 must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite,19then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from 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.21Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
1The LORD your God will destroy the nations whose land he is giving you. You will drive them out. And you will make your homes in their towns and their houses.2When you do, set apart for yourselves three cities in the land. It’s the land the LORD your God is giving you to take as your own.3Figure out the distances and then separate the land into three parts. Then anyone who kills another person can run to one of these cities for safety. They are in the land the LORD your God is giving you as your own.4Here is the rule about a person who kills someone. That person can run to one of those cities for safety. The rule applies to anyone who kills a neighbour they didn’t hate and didn’t mean to kill.5For example, suppose a man goes into a forest with his neighbour to cut wood. When he swings his axe to chop down a tree, the head of the axe flies off. And it hits his neighbour and kills him. Then that man can run to one of those cities and save his life.6If he doesn’t go to one of those cities, the dead man’s nearest male relative might become very angry. He might chase the man. If the city is too far away, he might catch him and kill him. But the man running to the city isn’t worthy of death, because he didn’t hate his neighbour.7That’s why I command you to set apart for yourselves three cities.8The LORD your God will increase the size of your territory. He promised your people of long ago that he would do it. He will give you the whole land he promised them.9But he’ll do it only if you are careful to obey all the laws I’m commanding you today. I command you to love the LORD your God. You must always live as he wants you to live. Suppose you are careful to obey, and the LORD your God gives you more land. Then you must set apart three more cities.10Do it to protect those not guilty of murder. Then you won’t spill their blood in your land. It’s the land the LORD your God is giving you as your own.11But suppose a man hates his neighbour. So he hides and waits for him. Then he attacks him and kills him. And he runs to one of those cities for safety.12If he does, the elders of his own town must send for him. He must be brought back from the city. He must be handed over to the dead man’s nearest male relative. Then the relative will kill him.13Don’t feel sorry for him. He has killed someone who hadn’t done anything wrong. Crimes like that must be punished in Israel. Then things will go well with you.14Don’t move your neighbour’s boundary stone. It was set up by people who lived there before you. It marks the border of a field in the land you will receive as your own. The LORD your God is giving you that land. You will take it over.
Witnesses
15Suppose someone is charged with committing a crime of any kind. Then one witness won’t be enough to prove that person is guilty. Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses.16Suppose a witness who tells lies goes to court and brings charges against someone. The witness says someone committed a crime.17Then the two people in the case must stand in front of the LORD. They must stand in front of the priests and the judges who are in office at that time.18The judges must check out the matter carefully. And suppose the witness is proved to be lying. Then he has said something false in court against another Israelite.19So do to the lying witness what he tried to do to the other person. Get rid of that evil witness.20The rest of the people will hear about it. And they will be afraid. They won’t allow such an evil thing to be done among them again.21Don’t feel sorry for that evil person. A life must be taken for a life. An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. A hand must be cut off for a hand and a foot for a foot.
1Wenn der HERR, dein Gott, die Nationen ausrotten wird, deren Land der HERR, dein Gott, dir gibt, und du sie vertreibst und in ihren Städten und in ihren Häusern wohnst, (Nu 35:9; De 12:29; Jos 20:1; Jos 24:13)2dann sollst du dir drei Städte aussondern[1] mitten in deinem Land, das der HERR, dein Gott, dir gibt, es in Besitz zu nehmen. (Ex 21:13; De 3:18; De 4:41)3Du sollst dir den Weg ⟨dahin⟩ instand halten und das Gebiet deines Landes, das der HERR, dein Gott, dir als Erbteil geben wird, in drei Teile teilen. Und es soll ⟨dazu⟩ geschehen, dass jeder Totschläger dahin fliehen ⟨kann⟩. (De 4:21; De 26:1)4Das aber ist die Sache mit dem Totschläger, der dahin flieht, damit er am Leben bleibt: Wer seinen Nächsten unabsichtlich[2] erschlägt und ihn nicht schon vorher[3] hasste5– ⟨etwa⟩ wer mit seinem Nächsten in den Wald geht, um Holz zu schlagen, und seine Hand holt mit der Axt aus, um das Holz abzuhauen, und das Eisen fährt vom Stiel und trifft seinen Nächsten, dass er stirbt –, der soll in eine dieser Städte fliehen, damit er am Leben bleibt,6damit nicht der Bluträcher wutentbrannt[4] dem Totschläger nachjagt und ihn einholt, weil der Weg zu lang ist, und ihn totschlägt, obwohl ihn kein Todesurteil ⟨traf⟩, weil er ihn nicht schon vorher[5] hasste.7Darum befehle ich dir: Drei Städte sollst du dir aussondern. – (Ex 21:13; De 3:18; De 4:41)8Und wenn der HERR, dein Gott, dein Gebiet erweitern wird, wie er deinen Vätern geschworen hat, und dir das ganze Land gibt, das er deinen Vätern zu geben zugesagt hat – (Ge 15:18)9wenn du darauf achtest, dieses ganze Gebot zu tun, das ich dir heute befehle, indem du den HERRN, deinen Gott, liebst und alle Tage auf seinen Wegen gehst –, dann sollst du dir noch drei Städte zu diesen dreien hinzufügen, (De 11:22)10damit nicht unschuldiges Blut vergossen wird mitten in deinem Land, das der HERR, dein Gott, dir als Erbteil gibt, und Blutschuld auf dir ist. – (De 4:21; De 26:1; Mt 27:25)11Wenn aber ein Mann seinen Nächsten hasst und ihm auflauert und sich gegen ihn erhebt und ihn totschlägt, sodass er stirbt, und er flieht in eine dieser Städte, (Pr 28:17)12dann sollen die Ältesten seiner Stadt hinsenden und ihn von dort holen und ihn der Hand des Bluträchers übergeben, dass er stirbt. (Ge 9:5; Ex 21:14; De 27:24; 2Sa 14:7)13Du sollst seinetwegen nicht betrübt sein[6], sondern du sollst unschuldig ⟨vergossenes⟩ Blut aus Israel wegschaffen, damit es dir gut geht. (Nu 35:31; De 21:9; 1Ki 2:31)14Du sollst nicht die Grenze deines Nächsten verrücken, die die Vorfahren gezogen haben in deinem Erbteil, das du erben wirst in dem Land, das der HERR, dein Gott, dir gibt, es in Besitz zu nehmen. (Ex 21:13; De 3:18; De 4:41; De 27:17; Pr 22:28)
Zeugen vor Gericht
15Ein einzelner Zeuge soll nicht gegen jemanden auftreten wegen irgendeiner Ungerechtigkeit[7] oder wegen irgendeiner Sünde, wegen irgendeiner Verfehlung, die er begeht. ⟨Nur⟩ auf zweier Zeugen Aussage oder auf dreier Zeugen Aussage hin soll eine Sache gültig sein[8]. – (De 17:6; Re 11:3)16Wenn ein falscher Zeuge[9] gegen jemanden auftritt, um ihn des Ungehorsams[10] zu beschuldigen, (Ex 23:1; De 5:20; Ps 27:12)17dann sollen die beiden Männer, die den Rechtsstreit führen, vor den HERRN treten, vor die Priester und die Richter, die in jenen Tagen da sein werden. (Ex 21:6; De 16:18)18Und die Richter sollen ⟨die Sache⟩ genau untersuchen. Und siehe, ist der Zeuge ein Lügenzeuge, hat er gegen seinen Bruder Lüge bezeugt,19dann sollt ihr ihm tun, wie er seinem Bruder zu tun gedachte. Und du sollst das Böse aus deiner Mitte wegschaffen. (De 13:6; Pr 19:5; Da 6:25)20Und die Übrigen sollen es hören und sich fürchten und nicht mehr länger eine solch böse Sache in deiner Mitte begehen. (De 13:12)21Und du sollst nicht schonen[11]: Leben um Leben, Auge um Auge, Zahn um Zahn, Hand um Hand, Fuß um Fuß! (Ex 21:23)