Deu 19:2-13 | NASB1995 | STEP | you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land , which the Lord your God gives you to possess .

Deuteronomy 19:2-13

2 ^ayou shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the Lord your God gives you to ^{▼▼ Lit possess it}possess. 3 “You shall prepare the ^{▼▼ Lit road}roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God will give you as a possession, ^{▼▼ Lit and it shall be for every manslayer to flee there}so that any manslayer may flee there.

4 ^e“Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he ^{▼▼ Lit smites}kills his friend ^{▼▼ Lit without knowledge}unintentionally, ^{▼▼ Lit and he was not hating him previously}not hating him previously— 5 as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand ^{▼▼ Lit is thrust with}swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the ^{▼▼ Lit wood}handle and ^{▼▼ Lit finds}strikes his friend so that he dies— he may flee to one of these cities and live; 6 otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer ^{▼▼ Lit while his heart is hot}in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and ^{▼▼ Lit smite him in the soul}take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. 7 “Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities for yourself.’

8 “If the Lord your God ⁿenlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He ^{▼▼ Lit spoke}promised to give your fathers— 9 if you ^{▼▼ Lit keep...to do it}carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, ^qto love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways always— ^rthen you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. 10 “So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and ^sbloodguiltiness be on you.

11 “But ^tif there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes ^{▼▼ Lit him in the soul}him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13 ^{▼▼ Lit Your eye
,} ^w“You shall not pity him, but ^xyou shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.