Deuteronomy 19

1 When the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] has cut off [destroyed, eliminated] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] whose land [territory, region] He is giving [bestowing, granting] you, and when you have driven them out [expelled, displaced] and settled [possessed, occupied] in their cities [towns, inhabited places] and houses [dwellings, homes], word study 2 then you are to set apart [separate, divide] for yourselves three [a specific number, thrice] cities [towns, communities] within the land [the earth, a country] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is giving [granting, putting] you to possess [take control, occupy, to have as a heritage]. word study 3 You are to build [prepare, make ready] roads [a way, a path] for yourselves and divide [mark out, apportion] into three regions [parts, sections] the land [the earth, a country] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the Creator] is giving you as an inheritance [a possession, a heritage], so that any manslayer [one who kills, a murderer] can flee [escape, run away] to these cities [places of refuge, towns]. word study 4 Now this [the situation, the case] is the situation regarding the manslayer [one who kills, a murderer] who flees [escapes, runs away] to one of these cities to save [preserve, protect] his life, having killed [smiting, striking down] his neighbor [companion, friend] accidentally [unawares, without intention], without [lacking, not having] intending [purposing, planning] to harm [injure, hurt] him: word study 5 If he goes [to the woods] into the forest with his neighbor [friend, companion] to cut [hew, chop down] timber and swings his axe [with the ax to cut down the tree] to chop down a tree, but the blade [head] flies off the handle and strikes [lighteth upon, hits] and kills his neighbor, he may flee [run, escape] to one of these cities [towns, places of refuge] to save [preserve, protect] his life [soul, existence]. word study 6 Otherwise [lest, beware that], the avenger of blood [kinsman redeemer, one who seeks revenge] might pursue [chase, follow with hostile intent] the manslayer [one who kills, murderer] in a rage [hot anger, fierce passion], overtake him if the distance [way, path] is great [long, far], and strike him dead [smite, kill] though he did not deserve [be worthy of] to die, since he did not intend [have hatred, premeditate] any harm [evil, wrong]. word study 7 This is why [for this reason, therefore] I [the Lord, the Commander] am commanding [giving orders, appointing] you to set apart [separate, divide] for yourselves [for your own benefit, to your advantage] three [a specific number, thrice] cities [towns, places of refuge]. word study 8 And if the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] enlarges [expands, increases] your territory [border, land], as He swore [promised, vowed] to your fathers [ancestors, patriarchs], and gives [grants, bestows] you all [the whole, everything] the land [earth, territory] He promised [vowed, pledged] them, word study 9 and if you carefully [diligently, with utmost care] keep all these commandments [instructions, divine laws] I am giving you today, loving [having affection for, being devoted to] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the Creator] and walking [living, conducting your life] in His ways [paths, manner of life] at all times, then you are to add [increase, expand] three more cities [towns, places of refuge] to these three. word study 10 Thus innocent [morally clean, guiltless] blood will not be shed [poured out, spilled] in the land [territory, region] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true deity] is giving [bestowing, granting] you as an inheritance [a gift, a legacy], so that you will not be guilty [responsible, accountable] of bloodshed [the shedding of innocent blood, murder]. word study 11 If, however, a man [an individual, a human being] hates [feels intense dislike or hostility] his neighbor [a close associate, a fellow human] and lies in wait [ambushes, sets a trap], attacks him and kills him [takes his life, murders], and then flees [runs away quickly] to one [a single, specific] of these cities [towns, places of refuge], word study 12 the elders [responsible men, leaders] of his city must send [dispatch, fetch] for him, bring him back [take him from there], and hand him over [deliver, give] to the avenger [kinsman, redeemer] of blood [the one shed, life] to die [be put to death, executed]. word study 13 You must show him [no mercy, have no pity on him] no pity [to pity, have compassion on]. You are to purge [remove, put away] from Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] the guilt [crime, responsibility] of shedding [pouring out, taking] innocent [morally clean, guiltless] blood [the liquid essential for life], that it may go [be] well [good, pleasant, beneficial] with you. word study 14 You must not [under any circumstances] move your neighbor’s [fellow, companion] boundary marker [landmark, border stone], which was set up [established, placed] by your ancestors [forefathers, predecessors] to mark the inheritance [heritage, possession] you shall receive [obtain, inherit] in the land [earth, territory] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, Creator] is giving [granting, bestowing] you to possess [occupy, take ownership]. word study 15 A lone [single, solitary] witness is not sufficient [enough, adequate] to establish [prove, confirm] any wrongdoing [iniquity, sin] or sin [transgression, offense] against a man [individual, person], regardless of what offense [crime, fault] he may have committed [done, perpetrated]. A matter [case, issue] must be established [confirmed, verified] by the testimony [word, statement] of two [a pair, dual] or three [a trio, triple] witnesses [those who see or experience something]. word study 16 If a false [unrighteous, lying] witness [someone who sees or experiences something, a testimony bearer] testifies [rises up to speak, to accuse] against someone, accusing [to testify against, to charge with wrongdoing] him of a crime [wrongdoing, transgression, revolt against what is right], word study 17 both parties [the two men, individuals] to the dispute [strife, quarrel] must stand [be firmly established, like Moses in Exodus 17:12] in the presence [face, before] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], before the priests [those who serve God, lead others in worship] and judges [those who govern, vindicate] who are in office [serving, governing] at that time [in those days, a specific period]. word study 18 The judges [to govern, vindicate] shall investigate [make diligent inquisition, seek carefully] thoroughly, and if the witness [one who sees or experiences, testimony] is proven to be a liar [false witness, deception] who has falsely accused [testified falsely, given false witness] his brother [close relative, friend], word study 19 you must do [punish, execute judgment] to him as he intended [planned, schemed] to do to his brother [male sibling, close relative]. So you must purge [remove, eliminate] the evil [bad, wicked] from among you [out of your midst, from your community]. word study 20 Then the rest [who remain, are left] of the people will hear [and listen, obey] and be afraid [fear, revere], and they will never again [still, from now on] do anything so evil [bad, wicked] among you [in your midst, internally]. word study 21 You must show no pity [have no compassion, not spare]: life [soul, living being] for life, eye [the organ of sight, a source of something] for eye, tooth for tooth, hand [an open hand] for hand, and foot [a part of the body, used for walking] for foot. word study