Deuteronomy 19

19 ¹When your Father cuts off the nations whose land your Father gives you, and you drive them out, settling in their cities and houses, ²set apart three cities in the land your Father is giving you to possess. ³Prepare roads and divide into three the land your Father gives you to inherit, so whoever kills someone can flee there. ⁴This is the case of the killer who flees there to live: one who strikes his neighbor unintentionally, without prior hatred, ⁵as when a man goes to the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, his hand swings the axe to fell a tree, the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his neighbor dead—he may flee to one of these cities and live. ⁶Otherwise the avenger of blood, burning with anger, might chase the killer down the long road, overtake, and kill him, though he didn't deserve death, having not hated his neighbor before. ^a a v6 The avenger of blood was the slain person's nearest relative, expected by ancient custom to pursue the killer; the cities of refuge guarded the accidental killer from this vengeance until a fair trial. ⁷Therefore I command you: set apart three cities for yourself. ⁸If your Father enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, giving you all the land he promised them. ⁹If you carefully keep all this command I give you today—love your Father and always walk in his ways—add three more cities to these three, ¹⁰so innocent blood isn't shed in the land your Father gives you as inheritance, and no bloodguilt falls on you. ¹¹But if a man hates his neighbor, ambushes, attacks, and strikes him dead, then flees to one of these cities, ¹²his city's elders will send, bring him back, and hand him to the blood-avenger to die. ¹³Show him no pity; purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so it goes well with you.

Honor Your Neighbor's Boundary

¹⁴Do not move your neighbor's boundary marker, set by earlier generations, in the inheritance you inherit in the land your Father gives you to possess.

¹⁵One witness can't convict anyone of any sin or wrongdoing, whatever the offense. A matter stands only on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ¹⁶If a malicious witness comes forward against someone to accuse him of wrongdoing, ¹⁷both men in the dispute must stand before your Father, before the priests and judges serving in those days. ¹⁸The judges must investigate thoroughly. If the witness is false, testifying falsely against his brother, ¹⁹do to him what he planned for his brother; purge the evil from among you. ²⁰The rest will hear and be afraid, and never again do such an evil thing among you. ²¹Don't pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.