Deuteronomy 19

1 When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

After the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he's giving you, and after you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,

2 Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

then you are to choose three sanctuary towns in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the bounds of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee there.

You are build roads to these towns. Divide the country the Lord is giving you into three sections. This way anyone who kills someone else can easily run to these towns for protection.

4 And this is the case of the slayer, who shall flee there, that he may live: Whoever killeth his neighbour unintentionally, whom he hated not in time past;

This is what is to happen when a person accidentally kills someone else without meaning to, and runs to one of these sanctuary towns to save their life.

5 As when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand maketh a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and falleth upon his neighbour, that he dieth; he shall flee to one of these cities, and live:

For example, if a man goes to cut wood in the forest with his friend and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the head flies off the handle and hits and kills his friend, he may run to one of these towns to save his life.

6 Lest the avenger of blood shall pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; though he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Otherwise the avenger in his anger might chase after the man and catch up with him and kill him, if it's a long distance. The man would be killed even though he didn't deserve to die, because he hadn't meant to cause any harm.

7 Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee.

This is the reason why I'm giving this order to choose three sanctuary towns.

8 And if the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy land, as he hath sworn to thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give to thy fathers;

Should the Lord your God expand your territory, as he promised your forefathers, and give you all the land he said he would,

9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three:

and if you are careful to keep all these commandments I'm giving you today, loving the Lord your God and always following his ways, then you are to choose three additional three sanctuary towns.

10 That innocent blood may not be shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

In this way the blood of innocent people won't not be shed in the country the Lord your God is giving you to own and you won't be responsible for the death of innocent people who aren't guilty of losing their lives.

11 But if any man shall hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he dieth, and he shall flee into one of these cities:

On the other hand, if a man hates someone, hides in wait, and attacks and kills them, and then the killer runs to one of the sanctuary towns,

12 Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

the elders of his home town must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger to be killed.

13 Thy eye shall not pity him, but thou shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may be well with thee.

Show him no mercy. You are to eliminate from Israel the guilt of shedding the blood of the innocent, and then all will be well.

14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thy inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Don't move your neighbor's boundary marker. It was placed there by your ancestors to mark the land allotment you will receive in the country that the Lord your God is giving you to own.

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

The evidence given by a single witness is not enough to prove a sin or a crime against someone, never mind what offense they are alleged to have committed. The facts must be confirmed by the evidence given by two or three witnesses.

16 If a false witness shall rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

If someone falsely accuses another person of a crime,

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, who shall be in those days;

both those involved must come to be judged in the presence of the Lord by the priests and judges who are then in office.

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

The judges shall conduct a full investigation, and if the accuser proves to be a liar who has made false accusations

19 Then shall ye do to him, as he had thought to do to his brother: so shalt thou remove the evil from among you.

then you must punish the accuser in the same way they wanted to punish their victim. You must eliminate this evil from among you.

20 And those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. Then everyone else will hear about it and be afraid, and won't ever do anything so evil.

21 And thy eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Don't show any mercy. The rule is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.