Page Cxix
The .xix. Chapter.
2 The franchized townes. 14 Not to remoue thy neighbours bondes. 16 The punishment of hym that beareth false witnesse.
[unspec A] 1 WHen the Lord thy God hath rooted out the nations whose lande the Lorde thy God geueth thee, and thou succeedest in their inhe∣ritaunce, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses:
2 Thou shalt (a) seperate three cities for thee in the middes of the lande which the Lorde thy God geueth thee to pos∣sesse it:
3 Thou shalt (b) prepare the way, and deuide the coastes of thy lande which the Lorde thy God geueth thee to in∣herite, into three partes, that whoso∣euer (c) committeth murther, may flee thyther.
4 For this cause must the slayer flee thy∣ther, that he may lyue: Who so kylleth his neighbour ignorauntly, and hated hym not in tyme passed:
5 And whē a man goeth vnto the wood with his neighbour to hewe wood, and as his hande fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut downe the tree, the head slippeth from the helue, and smyteth his neighbour that he dyeth: the same shall flee vnto one of the same cities, and lyue:
6 Lest the auenger of the blood folowe after the slayer whyle his heart is hot, & ouertake hym because the wayes is long, and slay hym, and yet there is no cause (d) worthy of death in hym, in as much as he hated hym not in tyme passed.
7 Wherfore I commaunde thee, saying: [unspec B] Thou shalt appoynt out three cities for thee.
8 And if the Lorde thy God enlarge thy coastes (as he hath sworne vnto thy fathers) and geue thee all the lande which he sayde he woulde geue vnto thy fathers:
9 Thou shalt kepe all these commaun∣dementes to do them, which I com∣maunde thee this day, that thou loue the Lorde thy God, and walke in his wayes euer: and adde three cities mo for thee beside these three,
10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy lande, which the Lord thy God geueth thee to inherite, and (f) so blood come vpon thee.
11 But and if any man hate his neygh∣bour, and lay awayte for hym, and ryse agaynst hym, and smyte hym that he die, & then fleeth vnto any of these cities:
12 The (g) elders of his citie shall sende and fetch hym thence, and deliuer hym into the handes of the auenger of blood, that he may dye.
13 (h)Thine eye shall not spare hym, but thou shalt (i) put away [the crye of] in∣nocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
14 Thou shalt not remoue thy neygh∣bours (k) marke, which they of olde time [unspec C] haue set in thine inheritaunce, that thou shalt inherite in the lande which the Lorde thy God geueth thee to enioy it.
15 One witnesse shall not rise agaynst a man for any maner trespasse, or for any maner sinne, or for any maner fault that he offendeth in: but at the mouth of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall the matter be stablished.
16 If a false witnesse rise vp agaynst a man, to accuse hym of trespasse:
17 Then both the men which stryue to∣gether, shall stande (l) before the Lorde, before the priestes and the iudges which shalbe in those dayes:
18 And the iudges shall make diligent inquisition: and if the witnesse be founde false, and that he hath geuen false wit∣nesse agaynst his brother:
19 Then shall ye do vnto hym, as he had thought to do vnto his brother, & thou shalt put euyll away from the middes of thee.
20 And other shall heare, and feare, and shall hencefoorth commit no more any such wickednesse among you.
21 And thine eye shall haue no cōpassion, but lyfe for lyfe, eye for eye, toothe for toothe, hande for hande, foote for foote.