כִּֽי־יַכְרִ֞ית יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ אֶת־אַרְצָ֑ם וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֕ם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֥ בְעָרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְבָתֵּיהֶֽם׃

When the Lord your God shall excise the nations that the Lord your God is giving you their land, and you take possession from them and live in their cities and in their houses, after the conquest of the land, when you are living there in peace;

שָׁל֥וֹשׁ עָרִ֖ים תַּבְדִּ֣יל לָ֑ךְ בְּת֣וֹךְ אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃

you shall separate three cities for you in the midst of your land that the Lord your God is giving you to take possession of it.

תָּכִ֣ין לְךָ֮ הַדֶּרֶךְ֒ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ֙ אֶת־גְּב֣וּל אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַנְחִֽילְךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֕ה לָנ֥וּס שָׁ֖מָּה כָּל־רֹצֵֽחַ׃

Furthermore, you shall prepare the path for you. The roads to these cities must be well paved and there must be signs directing toward them; and you shall divide the area within the boundaries of your land that the Lord your God will bequeath to you into three equal parts, so that there will be a comparable distance from the borders to the cities and from one city to the next, and it shall be for every murderer to flee there.

וְזֶה֙ דְּבַ֣ר הָרֹצֵ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־יָנ֥וּס שָׁ֖מָּה וָחָ֑י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַכֶּ֤ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּבְלִי־דַ֔עַת וְה֛וּא לֹא־שֹׂנֵ֥א ל֖וֹ מִתְּמֹ֥ל שִׁלְשֹֽׁם׃

The punishment for murder is limited, but not negated, by the existence of cities of refuge. This is the matter of the murderer, who shall flee there and live. He, the murderer who is protected by a city of refuge, is one who will kill his neighbor without knowledge, premeditated intent, and he does not hate him previously. Rather, the unfortunate incident was a complete accident. In many cases where someone kills his enemy, even if there is no evidence that he did do so intentionally, presumably, it was not completely unwitting. There is no asylum for a murderer under those circumstances.

וַאֲשֶׁר֩ יָבֹ֨א אֶת־רֵעֵ֥הוּ בַיַּעַר֮ לַחְטֹ֣ב עֵצִים֒ וְנִדְּחָ֨ה יָד֤וֹ בַגַּרְזֶן֙ לִכְרֹ֣ת הָעֵ֔ץ וְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ וּמָצָ֥א אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת ה֗וּא יָנ֛וּס אֶל־אַחַ֥ת הֶעָרִים־הָאֵ֖לֶּה וָחָֽי׃

The verse provides an example of unwitting murder: One who will come with his neighbor in the forest to hew trees, and his hand will slip from the axe while he is chopping the tree, and the blade comes off the wood handle, or a sliver will be displaced from the tree that is being chopped down due to the force of the axe, and finds his neighbor, and he dies, then he, the one who caused his death, shall flee to one of these cities and he shall live.

פֶּן־יִרְדֹּף֩ גֹּאֵ֨ל הַדָּ֜ם אַחֲרֵ֣י הָרֹצֵ֗חַ כִּי־יֵחַם֮ לְבָבוֹ֒ וְהִשִּׂיג֛וֹ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ וְהִכָּ֣הוּ נָ֑פֶשׁ וְלוֹ֙ אֵ֣ין מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֔וֶת כִּ֠י לֹ֣א שֹׂנֵ֥א ה֛וּא ל֖וֹ מִתְּמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃

Lest the blood redeemer, who is typically a relative of the deceased, pursue the murderer, because his heart is incensed, in his passion for revenge, and he will overtake him, because the way to the city of refuge is too great, and he will smite him mortally. And for him, the unwitting murderer, there is no sentence of death, and he does not deserve this fate, as he does not hate him, his victim, previously, before the tragic mishap occurred.

עַל־כֵּ֛ן אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר שָׁלֹ֥שׁ עָרִ֖ים תַּבְדִּ֥יל לָֽךְ׃ (ס)

Therefore, in order to prevent the death of an unwitting murderer, I command you, saying: You shall separate three cities for you, appropriately distributed across the land and with directions plainly marked on the roads leading to those cities.

וְאִם־יַרְחִ֞יב יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־גְּבֻ֣לְךָ֔ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְנָ֤תַן לְךָ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר לָתֵ֥ת לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

When the Lord your God will expand your border, beyond the land of Canaan as delineated in Numbers 34:1–12, when it was an Egyptian province, as He has taken an oath to your forefathers, and He will give you the entire land that He spoke to give to your forefathers. This is a far more expansive territory, stretching from the river or brook of Egypt, which is the Nile or one of its tributaries, to the Euphrates River, which includes a large portion of the Fertile Crescent;

כִּֽי־תִשְׁמֹר֩ אֶת־כָּל־הַמִּצְוָ֨ה הַזֹּ֜את לַעֲשֹׂתָ֗הּ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֣י מְצַוְּךָ֮ הַיּוֹם֒ לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ וְלָלֶ֥כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִ֑ים וְיָסַפְתָּ֨ לְךָ֥ עוֹד֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ עָרִ֔ים עַ֖ל הַשָּׁלֹ֥שׁ הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

because you will observe this entire commandment to perform it, that I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways always, then your land shall increase, and there will be a need to add cities for unwitting murders. Therefore, you shall add for you three more cities, in the new areas, together with these three west of the Jordan River, which are in addition to the three east of the Jordan.

וְלֹ֤א יִשָּׁפֵךְ֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֣רֶב אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ דָּמִֽים׃ (ס)

In this manner, innocent blood will be not spilled in the midst of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and if it is spilled, then the blood will be upon you, the people as a whole. The spilling of blood defiles the land, and therefore action must be taken to forestall potential murders as well as vengeance for those acts by the victims’ blood redeemers.

וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶ֥ה אִישׁ֙ שֹׂנֵ֣א לְרֵעֵ֔הוּ וְאָ֤רַב לוֹ֙ וְקָ֣ם עָלָ֔יו וְהִכָּ֥הוּ נֶ֖פֶשׁ וָמֵ֑ת וְנָ֕ס אֶל־אַחַ֖ת הֶעָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽל׃

But if there will be a man who hates his neighbor, and he ambushed him and rose against him, and smote him mortally and he died and he, this intentional murderer, flees to one of these cities of refuge, where he is legally entitled to temporary asylum until he stands trial;

וְשָֽׁלְחוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֔וֹ וְלָקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מִשָּׁ֑ם וְנָתְנ֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ בְּיַ֛ד גֹּאֵ֥ל הַדָּ֖ם וָמֵֽת׃

the elders of his city shall send and take him from there to face justice, and will place him into the hand of the blood redeemer to stand trial as demanded by the victim’s relative, who seeks justice on his behalf, and he, the murderer, will die, once his death sentence has been pronounced.

לֹא־תָח֥וֹס עֵֽינְךָ֖ עָלָ֑יו וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֧ דַֽם־הַנָּקִ֛י מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְט֥וֹב לָֽךְ׃ (ס)

Your eye shall not pity him, the murderer; you shall eliminate the blood of the innocent from Israel, and it will be good for you.

לֹ֤א תַסִּיג֙ גְּב֣וּל רֵֽעֲךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּבְל֖וּ רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים בְּנַחֲלָֽתְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּנְחַ֔ל בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ (ס)

You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary that the predecessors demarcated, in your inheritance that you will inherit, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to take possession of it. Do not adjust the established border between your property and that of your neighbor in order to encroach upon his territory and increase your own property.

לֹֽא־יָקוּם֩ עֵ֨ד אֶחָ֜ד בְּאִ֗ישׁ לְכָל־עָוֺן֙ וּלְכָל־חַטָּ֔את בְּכָל־חֵ֖טְא אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶֽחֱטָ֑א עַל־פִּ֣י ׀ שְׁנֵ֣י עֵדִ֗ים א֛וֹ עַל־פִּ֥י שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־עֵדִ֖ים יָק֥וּם דָּבָֽר׃

One witness shall not stand against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he may sin, as it is always possible that the testimony of an individual is distorted by his subjective viewpoint. Instead, according to two witnesses, or according to three witnesses, a matter shall be established. Admittedly, the testimony of two or more witnesses does not prove a claim absolutely, and it too must be scrutinized carefully, but the presence of two people serves to move their account from a private experience to the objective realm, where their respective versions can be compared and analyzed.

כִּֽי־יָק֥וּם עֵד־חָמָ֖ס בְּאִ֑ישׁ לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּ֖וֹ סָרָֽה׃

Although the testimony of two witnesses is generally considered reliable, it is no guarantee against deception. If a corrupt, lying witness shall stand with another witness against a man to testify a fabrication against him, to accuse him falsely,

וְעָמְד֧וּ שְׁנֵֽי־הָאֲנָשִׁ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־לָהֶ֥ם הָרִ֖יב לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה לִפְנֵ֤י הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ וְהַשֹּׁ֣פְטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְי֖וּ בַּיָּמִ֥ים הָהֵֽם׃

both the men, between whom there is a dispute, the two litigants, or the two witnesses, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in those days.

וְדָרְשׁ֥וּ הַשֹּׁפְטִ֖ים הֵיטֵ֑ב וְהִנֵּ֤ה עֵֽד־שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ הָעֵ֔ד שֶׁ֖קֶר עָנָ֥ה בְאָחִֽיו׃

The judges shall inquire and examine the witnesses diligently, to uncover any errors, lies, or conspiracies. And behold, as a result of their investigation they discover that the witness is a false witness; he testified falsehood against his brother. This is no innocuous lie, as had their incriminating testimony been accepted, an innocent man would have been punished, as he would be required to pay, receive corporal punishment, or even forfeit his life.

וַעֲשִׂ֣יתֶם ל֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר זָמַ֖ם לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לְאָחִ֑יו וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃

Consequently, you shall do to him as he had conspired to do to his brother, and you shall eliminate the evil from your midst. In this case, the witness is guilty of attempting to harm another person. This is an anomalous case in Torah law, which generally deals with actual damages, not with unsuccessful attempts to cause damage.

וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים יִשְׁמְע֣וּ וְיִרָ֑אוּ וְלֹֽא־יֹסִ֨פוּ לַעֲשׂ֜וֹת ע֗וֹד כַּדָּבָ֥ר הָרָ֛ע הַזֶּ֖ה בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃

The survivors shall hear, and fear, and shall not continue to do like this evil matter in your midst anymore. The knowledge that a false witness was severely punished for his attempt to harm another will send shockwaves through the populace. They will realize that the submission of testimony is a serious matter which must be undertaken with care, precision, and seriousness.

וְלֹ֥א תָח֖וֹס עֵינֶ֑ךָ נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּנֶ֗פֶשׁ עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ שֵׁ֣ן בְּשֵׁ֔ן יָ֥ד בְּיָ֖ד רֶ֥גֶל בְּרָֽגֶל׃ (ס)

With regard to the punishment of a conspiring witness, although he did not inflict any damage in practice, nevertheless your eye shall not pity him, as he intended to cause severe harm. If his testimony was designed to take a life, then he shall pay for it with a life, as he himself shall be killed. If he testified that someone blinded an eye of another, he must pay for the damages of an eye, which he sought to impose upon the accused. Likewise, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot; the penalty for all those schemes to force someone to pay for damages is the payment of a like sum. Just as the world stands on peace, so too it stands on law, and elimination of evil from the world will enable the world to continue to exist for many years.