Moses repeats the instructions for the cities of refuge for those who kill accidentally and requires at least two or three witnesses to condemn anyone. He warns against moving a neighbour's boundary.
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 ;
2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land , which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
3 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.
4 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 ;
5 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 :
6 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 .
7 Wherefore I command thee, saying , Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.
8 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 ;
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, beside these three :
10 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.
11 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 :
12 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 .
13 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.
14 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.
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 .
16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong ;
17 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 ;
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition : and, behold, if the witness be a false witness , and hath testified falsely against his brother ;
19 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.
20 And those which remain shall hear , and fear , and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
21 And thine eye shall not pity ; but life shall go for life , eye for eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot .