Simple English

Deuteronomy

Moses gives speeches about laws and the importance of following God before the Israelites enter the Promised Land. ... click to read full summary of this book.

Chapter 19

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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;

When the LORD takes away other countries and gives their land to you, and you take over and live in their cities and houses.

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

You must set apart three cities in your land, given to you by the Lord God to take control of.

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

You must make paths for yourself and split your land's territories, given by the Lord your God for you to possess, into three parts so killers can run to them.

And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

This is about the person who killed someone accidentally to save themselves. They run there so they can live. It's about someone who unintentionally kills their neighbor without any previous hatred.

As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

When a person goes into the woods with their friend to chop wood, and their axe handle comes loose, hitting their friend and causing death, they must run to a nearby city for safety.

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

To avoid the person seeking revenge for the murder from catching the killer when their anger is strong, since it takes a long time to catch them, and accidentally killing them; because the killer didn't really deserve to die, as they didn't hate the victim before.

Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

So, I'm telling you to set apart three cities for special use.

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

And if your God increases your territory, like he promised your ancestors, and gives you all the land he said he would give them.

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, beside these three:

If you follow all these commands I tell you today to love and obey God, then you will add three more cities to your current three.

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

To avoid innocent blood being spilled in your land, given by the Lord as your inheritance, make sure you don't cause such bloodshed, or it will be your fault.

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

But if anyone hates their neighbor, plans to attack them, rises against them, seriously hurts them so they die, and then runs away to one of these cities:

Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Then, the older people from his town will get him and give him to the person who seeks revenge for the murder, so he can be executed.

Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

Your eyes should not feel sorry for him. Instead, remove the guilt of innocent blood from Israel so everything goes well for you.

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

Do not move your neighbor's boundary marker, which they set long ago in the land you inherit from God. This land is given to you to possess it.

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.

One person can't accuse someone of wrongdoing or sin without proof. The accusation must be confirmed by two or three witnesses for it to be true.

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

If someone lies in court about another person, saying something bad that's not true;

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

Then, the two men arguing will stand before God, in front of the priests and judges present during that time.

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

The judges will carefully investigate. If the witness is lying and made up a story about their brother,

Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

Then, you must treat him as he planned to treat his brother. This will remove the wickedness from your group.

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

And the ones left will listen, be afraid, and won't do any more bad things like that among you.

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

Your eye should not feel sorry; instead, you will get back what someone did to you - like for like, tooth for tooth, and so on.

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* Work in progress - there may be occasional inaccuracies