Miji Ya Makimbilio
(Hesabu 35:9-34; Yoshua 20:1-9)
119:1 Kum 6:10-11; 12:29Wakati Bwana Mungu wenu atakapokuwa amewaangamiza mataifa ambayo nchi yao anawapa ninyi, wakati mtakapokuwa mmewafukuza na kuishi katika miji yao na nyumba zao, 219:2 Yos 20:2ndipo mtenge miji mitatu iliyopo katikati ya nchi kwa ajili yenu, katika nchi ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kuimiliki. 3Jengeni barabara katika miji hiyo na kuigawa mara tatu, nchi anayowapa Bwana Mungu wenu kama urithi, ili kwamba yeyote amuuaye mtu aweze kukimbilia humo.
4Hii ndiyo kanuni kuhusu mtu amuuaye mwingine na kukimbilia humo kuokoa maisha yake, yaani, yeye amuuaye jirani yake bila kukusudia, wala hakumchukia kabla ya hapo. 5Kwa mfano, mtu aweza kwenda msituni na jirani yake kukata miti, naye anapozungusha shoka kuangusha mti, shoka linaweza kuchomoka kutoka kwenye mpini na kumpiga jirani yake na kumuua. Yule mtu anaweza kukimbilia katika mmojawapo ya miji hii na kuokoa maisha yake. 619:6 Hes 35:12Kama sivyo, mlipiza kisasi cha damu anaweza kumfuatilia kwa hasira kali, naye akamkamata na kumuua kama umbali ni mrefu sana hata ingawa hastahili kifo, kwa sababu amemuua jirani yake bila kukusudia. 7Hii ndiyo sababu nimewaagiza ninyi kutenga miji mitatu ya makimbilio kwa ajili yenu.
819:8 Kut 34:24; Mwa 15:18; Kum 11:24Kama Bwana Mungu wenu akipanua nchi yenu, kama alivyoahidi kwa kiapo kwa baba zenu na kuwapa nchi yote aliyowaahidi, 919:9 Kum 6:5; Yos 20:7-8kwa sababu mmefuata kwa uangalifu sheria zote ninazowaamuru leo, kumpenda Bwana Mungu wenu na kuenenda siku zote katika njia zake, ndipo mtenge miji mingine, mitatu zaidi. 1019:10 Mit 6:17; Yer 7:6; 26:15; Kum 21:1-9; Hes 35:33Fanyeni hivi ili damu isiyo na hatia isimwagwe katika nchi yenu, ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa kama urithi wenu, ili kwamba msije mkawa na hatia ya kumwaga damu.
1119:11 Kut 21:12; Hes 35:16; 1Yn 3:15; Mit 28:17; 29:10Lakini kama mtu anamchukia ndugu yake, akamvizia, akamshambulia na kumuua, kisha akakimbilia katika mmojawapo ya miji hii, 12wazee wa mji wake watatuma ujumbe kwake, kumleta kutoka mji ule na kumkabidhi mlipiza kisasi cha damu kumuua. 1319:13 Kum 7:2; 21:9; 1Fal 2:31Msimwonee huruma. Lazima mwondoe katika Israeli hatia ya umwagaji damu isiyo na hatia ili kwamba mpate kufanikiwa.
1419:14 Kum 27:17; Ay 24:2; Za 16:6; Mit 15:25; 22:28; 23:10; Isa 1:23; Hos 5:10Usisogeze jiwe la mpaka wa jirani yako ambao uliwekwa na wale waliokutangulia katika urithi upokeao katika nchi Bwana Mungu wako anayowapa kuimiliki.
Mashahidi
1519:15 Kum 17:6; Mt 18:16; 26:60; 2Kor 3:1; Yn 8:17; 1Tim 5:19; Ebr 10:28Shahidi mmoja hatoshi kumtia hatiani mtu kwa uhalifu au kosa lolote ambalo anaweza kuwa amelitenda. Lazima shauri lolote lithibitishwe kwa ushuhuda wa mashahidi wawili au watatu.
1619:16 Kut 23:1; Mit 6:19; Za 27:12; 1Fal 21:13Kama shahidi mwenye nia ya kumdhuru mwingine akisimama kumshtaki mtu kwa uhalifu, 1719:17 Kut 21:6; Kum 17:6watu wawili wanaohusika katika mabishano lazima wasimame mbele za Bwana na mbele ya makuhani na waamuzi ambao wako kazini wakati huo. 1819:18 Kut 23:7Waamuzi lazima wafanye uchunguzi kwa makini na shahidi akionekana kuwa ni mwongo, akitoa ushuhuda wa uongo dhidi ya ndugu yake, 1919:19 Mit 19:5-10; 1Kor 5:13; Dan 6:24basi mtende kama alivyotaka kumtendea ndugu yake. Ni lazima mwondoe uovu miongoni mwenu. 2019:20 Kum 13:11; 17:13; 13:13; 21:21Watu watakaosalia watasikia hili na kuogopa, uovu kama huo kamwe hautatendeka tena miongoni mwenu. 2119:21 Kut 21:24; Mt 5:38Msionyeshe huruma, uhai kwa uhai, jicho kwa jicho, jino kwa jino, mkono kwa mkono, mguu kwa mguu.
Cities of Refuge
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 neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. 5For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor 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 neighbor 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 neighbor, 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 neighbor’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 offense 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.
