Las ciudades de refugio
1»Cuando el Señor tu Dios haya destruido a las naciones cuyo territorio va a entregarte, y tú las hayas expulsado y te hayas establecido en sus ciudades y en sus casas, 2apartarás tres ciudades centrales en la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da en posesión. 3Dividirás en tres partes la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da por herencia, y construirás caminos para que cualquiera que haya cometido un homicidio pueda ir a refugiarse en ellas.
4»En cuanto al homicida que llegue allí a refugiarse, solo se salvará el que haya matado a su prójimo sin premeditación ni rencor alguno. 5Por ejemplo, si un hombre va con su prójimo al bosque a cortar leña, y al dar el hachazo para cortar un árbol el hierro se desprende y golpea a su prójimo y lo mata, tal hombre podrá refugiarse en una de esas ciudades y ponerse a salvo. 6Es necesario evitar grandes distancias, para que el enfurecido vengador del delito de sangre no le dé alcance y lo mate; aquel hombre no merece la muerte, puesto que mató a su prójimo sin premeditación. 7Por eso te ordeno apartar tres ciudades.
8»Si el Señor tu Dios extiende tu territorio, como se lo juró a tus antepasados, y te da toda la tierra que te prometió, 9y si tú obedeces todos estos mandamientos que hoy te ordeno, y amas al Señor tu Dios y andas siempre en sus caminos, entonces apartarás tres ciudades más. 10De este modo no se derramará sangre inocente en la tierra que el Señor tu Dios te da por herencia, y tú no serás culpable de homicidio.
11»Pero, si un hombre odia a su prójimo y le prepara una emboscada, y lo asalta y lo mata, y luego busca refugio en una de esas ciudades, 12los ancianos de su ciudad mandarán arrestarlo y lo entregarán al vengador para que lo mate. 13No le tendrás lástima, porque así evitarás que Israel sea culpable de que se derrame sangre inocente, y a ti te irá bien.
14»Cuando ocupes el territorio que el Señor tu Dios te da como herencia, no reduzcas el límite de la propiedad de tu prójimo, que hace mucho tiempo le fue señalado.
Los testigos requeridos
15»Un solo testigo no bastará para condenar a un hombre acusado de cometer algún crimen o delito. Todo asunto se resolverá mediante el testimonio de dos o tres testigos.
16»Si un testigo falso acusa a alguien de un crimen, 17las dos personas involucradas en la disputa se presentarán ante el Señor, en presencia de los sacerdotes y de los jueces que estén en funciones. 18Los jueces harán una investigación minuciosa y, si comprueban que el testigo miente y si comprueban que es falsa la declaración que el testigo ha dado contra su hermano, 19entonces le harán a él lo mismo que se proponía hacerle a su hermano. Así extirparás el mal que haya en medio de ti. 20Y cuando todos los demás oigan esto, tendrán temor y nunca más se hará semejante maldad en el país. 21No le tengas consideración a nadie. Cobra vida por vida, ojo por ojo, diente por diente, mano por mano y pie por pie.
Cities to Run to for Safety
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 neighbor they didn’t hate and didn’t mean to kill. 5For example, suppose a man goes into a forest with his neighbor to cut wood. When he swings his ax to chop down a tree, the head of the ax flies off. And it hits his neighbor 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 neighbor. 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 neighbor. 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 neighbor’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.
