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1. "The Lord your God is giving you land that belongs to other nations. The Lord your God will destroy those nations. You will live where these people lived. You will take their cities and their houses. When that happens,
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1. When H3588 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath cut off H3772 H853 the nations H1471 , whose H834 H853 land H776 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee , and thou succeedest H3423 them , and dwellest H3427 in their cities H5892 , and in their houses H1004 ;
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2. you must divide the land into three parts. In each part you must choose a city close to everyone in that area, and then you must prepare roads to these cities. Whoever kills another person may run to that city for safety.
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2. Thou shalt separate H914 three H7969 cities H5892 for thee in the midst H8432 of thy land H776 , which H834 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee to possess H3423 it.
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3. Thou shalt prepare H3559 thee a way H1870 , and divide H8027 H853 the coasts H1366 of thy land H776 , which H834 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth thee to inherit H5157 , into three parts , that every H3605 slayer H7523 may H1961 flee H5127 thither H8033 .
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4. "This is the rule for someone who kills another person and runs to one of these three cities for safety: It must be someone who killed another person accidentally, not out of hatred.
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4. And this H2088 is the case H1697 of the slayer H7523 , which H834 shall flee H5127 thither H8033 , that he may live H2425 : Whoso H834 killeth H5221 H853 his neighbor H7453 ignorantly H1907 H1947 , whom he H1931 hated H8130 not H3808 in time H8032 past H4480 H8657 ;
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5. Here is an example: A man goes into the forest with another person to cut wood. The man swings his ax to cut down a tree, but the head of the ax separates from the handle. The ax head hits the other person and kills him. The man who swung the ax may then run to one of these three cities and be safe.
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5. As when a man H834 goeth H935 into the wood H3293 with H854 his neighbor H7453 to hew H2404 wood H6086 , and his hand H3027 fetcheth a stroke H5080 with the axe H1631 to cut down H3772 the tree H6086 , and the head H1270 slippeth H5394 from H4480 the helve H6086 , and lighteth upon H4672 H853 his neighbor H7453 , that he die H4191 ; he H1931 shall flee H5127 unto H413 one H259 of those H428 cities H5892 , and live H2425 :
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6. But if the city is too far away, he might not be able to run there fast enough. A close relative of the person he killed might run after him and catch him before he reaches the city. The close relative might be very angry and kill the man even though he did not deserve to die. He did not hate the person he killed.
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6. Lest H6435 the avenger H1350 of the blood H1818 pursue H7291 H310 the slayer H7523 , while H3588 his heart H3824 is hot H3179 , and overtake H5381 him, because H3588 the way H1870 is long H7235 , and slay H5221 him H5315 ; whereas he was not H369 worthy of death H4941 H4194 , inasmuch as H3588 he H1931 hated H8130 him not H3808 in time H8032 past H4480 H8543 .
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7. That is why I commanded you to choose three special cities.
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7. Wherefore H5921 H3651 I H595 command H6680 thee, saying H559 , Thou shalt separate H914 three H7969 cities H5892 for thee.
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8. "The Lord your God promised your fathers that he would make your land larger. He will give you all the land that he promised to give to your ancestors.
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8. And if H518 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 enlarge H7337 H853 thy coast H1366 , as H834 he hath sworn H7650 unto thy fathers H1 , and give H5414 thee H853 all H3605 the land H776 which H834 he promised H1696 to give H5414 unto thy fathers H1 ;
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9. He will do this if you completely obey his commands that I give you today�if you love the Lord your God and always live the way he wants. Then, when the Lord makes your land larger, you should choose three more cities for safety. They should be added to the first three cities.
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9. If H3588 thou shalt keep H8104 H853 all H3605 these H2063 commandments H4687 to do H6213 them, which H834 I H595 command H6680 thee this day H3117 , to love H157 H853 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 , and to walk H1980 ever H3605 H3117 in his ways H1870 ; then shalt thou add H3254 three H7969 cities H5892 more H5750 for thee, beside H5921 these H428 three H7969 :
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10. Then innocent people will not be killed in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. And you will not be guilty for any such deaths.
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10. That innocent H5355 blood H1818 be not H3808 shed H8210 in H7130 thy land H776 , which H834 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee for an inheritance H5159 , and so blood H1818 be H1961 upon H5921 thee.
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11. "But suppose there is a man who hates his neighbor. That man might hide and wait to kill the person he hates. If he kills that person and runs to one of these cities of safety,
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11. But if H3588 any man H376 hate H1961 H8130 his neighbor H7453 , and lie in wait H693 for him , and rise up H6965 against H5921 him , and smite H5221 him mortally H5315 that he die H4191 , and fleeth H5127 into H413 one H259 of these H411 cities H5892 :
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12. the elders in his hometown must send someone to get him and take him away from the city of safety. These leaders must hand him over to the close relative. He is a murderer and he must die.
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12. Then the elders H2205 of his city H5892 shall send H7971 and fetch H3947 him thence H4480 H8033 , and deliver H5414 him into the hand H3027 of the avenger H1350 of blood H1818 , that he may die H4191 .
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13. Don't feel sorry for him. He is guilty of killing an innocent person, and you must remove that guilt from Israel. Then everything will go well for you.
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13. Thine eye H5869 shall not H3808 pity H2347 H5921 him , but thou shalt put away H1197 the guilt of innocent H5355 blood H1818 from Israel H4480 H3478 , that it may go well H2895 with thee.
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14. "You must not move the stones that mark your neighbor's property. People put them there in the past to mark each person's property. These stones mark the land that the Lord your God gave you.
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14. Thou shalt not H3808 remove H5253 thy neighbor H7453 's landmark H1366 , which H834 they of old time H7223 have set H1379 in thine inheritance H5159 , which H834 thou shalt inherit H5157 in the land H776 that H834 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee to possess H3423 it.
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15. "If someone is accused of doing something against the law, one witness is not enough to prove that the person is guilty. There must be two or three witnesses to prove that the person really did wrong.
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15. One H259 witness H5707 shall not H3808 rise up H6965 against a man H376 for any H3605 iniquity H5771 , or for any H3605 sin H2403 , in any H3605 sin H2399 that H834 he sinneth H2398 : at H5921 the mouth H6310 of two H8147 witnesses H5707 , or H176 at H5921 the mouth H6310 of three H7969 witnesses H5707 , shall the matter H1697 be established H6965 .
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16. "A witness might try to hurt another person by lying and saying that this person did wrong.
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16. If H3588 a false H2555 witness H5707 rise up H6965 against any man H376 to testify H6030 against him that which is wrong H5627 ;
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17. If that happens, both of them must go to the Lord's special house and be judged by the priests and judges who are on duty at that time.
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17. Then both H8147 the men H376 , between whom H834 the controversy H7379 is , shall stand H5975 before H6440 the LORD H3068 , before H6440 the priests H3548 and the judges H8199 , which H834 shall be H1961 in those H1992 days H3117 ;
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18. When the judges carefully ask their questions, they might find that the witness lied against the other person. If the witnesses tell lies,
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18. And the judges H8199 shall make diligent inquisition H1875 H3190 : and, behold H2009 , if the witness H5707 be a false H8267 witness H5707 , and hath testified H6030 falsely H8267 against his brother H251 ;
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19. you must punish them with the same punishment the other person would have received. In this way you will remove this evil from your group.
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19. Then shall ye do H6213 unto him, as H834 he had thought H2161 to have done H6213 unto his brother H251 : so shalt thou put the evil away H1197 H7451 from among H4480 H7130 you.
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20. Other people will hear about this and be afraid, and people will not do evil things like that again.
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20. And those which remain H7604 shall hear H8085 , and fear H3372 , and shall henceforth H3254 commit H6213 no H3808 more H5750 any H1697 such H2088 evil H7451 among H7130 you.
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21. "Don't feel sorry about punishing someone who does wrong. If a life is taken, a life must be paid for it. The rule is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot�the punishment must equal the crime.
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21. And thine eye H5869 shall not H3808 pity H2347 ; but life H5315 shall go for life H5315 , eye H5869 for eye H5869 , tooth H8127 for tooth H8127 , hand H3027 for hand H3027 , foot H7272 for foot H7272 .
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