Saadia · Devarim 19
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- Devarim 19:1
כִּי-יַכְרִית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת-הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ אֶת-אַרְצָם וִירִשְׁתָּם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְעָרֵיהֶם וּבְבָתֵּיהֶם
. . .
And when God your Lord cuts off the nations whose land He is giving you, and you inherit them, and settle in their towns and their dwellings,
- Devarim 19:2
שָׁלוֹשׁ עָרִים תַּבְדִּיל לָךְ בְּתוֹךְ אַרְצְךָ--אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּהּ
. .
set apart for yourself three towns in the midst of your land which God your Lord is giving you to possess,
- Devarim 19:3
תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת-גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַנְחִילְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָיָה לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כָּל-רֹצֵחַ
. . . .
and make their roads ready, according to the division into thirds of the bounds of your land which God your Lord is granting you as inheritance — they shall be prepared, for every slayer to flee to them,
- Devarim 19:4
וְזֶה דְּבַר הָרֹצֵחַ אֲשֶׁר-יָנוּס שָׁמָּה וָחָי אֲשֶׁר יַכֶּה אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ בִּבְלִי-דַעַת וְהוּא לֹא-שֹׂנֵא לוֹ מִתְּמֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם
. . .
and this is the account of the slayer who flees to them and lives: one who slew his fellow without intent, and he was not one who bore hatred toward him from yesterday or before it,
- Devarim 19:5
וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ בַיַּעַר לַחְטֹב עֵצִים וְנִדְּחָה יָדוֹ בַגַּרְזֶן לִכְרֹת הָעֵץ וְנָשַׁל הַבַּרְזֶל מִן-הָעֵץ וּמָצָא אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ וָמֵת הוּא יָנוּס אֶל-אַחַת הֶעָרִים-הָאֵלֶּה--וָחָי
. . . .
as one who enters with his fellow into the thicket to cut wood, and his hand swings with the iron to cut the beam, or the iron slips from the beam and strikes his fellow and he dies — he shall flee to one of these towns and live.
- Devarim 19:6
פֶּן-יִרְדֹּף גֹּאֵל הַדָּם אַחֲרֵי הָרֹצֵחַ כִּי-יֵחַם לְבָבוֹ וְהִשִּׂיגוֹ כִּי-יִרְבֶּה הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהִכָּהוּ נָפֶשׁ וְלוֹ אֵין מִשְׁפַּט-מָוֶת כִּי לֹא שֹׂנֵא הוּא לוֹ מִתְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם
. . . . .
Lest the avenger of blood pursue the slayer, when his heart is inflamed, and overtake him, because the road is long, and slay him — though no judgment of death rests upon him, since he was not one who bore hatred toward him from yesterday or before it.
- Devarim 19:7
עַל-כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים תַּבְדִּיל לָךְ
.
Therefore I command you today, that you set apart three towns for yourself.
- Devarim 19:8
וְאִם-יַרְחִיב יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת-גְּבֻלְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ וְנָתַן לְךָ אֶת-כָּל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָתֵת לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ
. .
And if God your Lord widens your bounds, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give to your fathers,
- Devarim 19:9
כִּי-תִשְׁמֹר אֶת-כָּל-הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת לַעֲשֹׂתָהּ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו כָּל-הַיָּמִים--וְיָסַפְתָּ לְךָ עוֹד שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים עַל הַשָּׁלֹשׁ הָאֵלֶּה
. . . . . .
and that is if you observe all this law which I command you in it today, and act according to it — to love God your Lord and to walk in His ways all the time — then add for yourself three towns more beyond these three,
- Devarim 19:10
וְלֹא יִשָּׁפֵךְ דָּם נָקִי בְּקֶרֶב אַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וְהָיָה עָלֶיךָ דָּמִים
. . .
so that innocent blood not be shed in your land which God your Lord is giving you as an inheritance, and its blood be upon you.
- Devarim 19:11
וְכִי-יִהְיֶה אִישׁ שֹׂנֵא לְרֵעֵהוּ וְאָרַב לוֹ וְקָם עָלָיו וְהִכָּהוּ נֶפֶשׁ וָמֵת וְנָס אֶל-אַחַת הֶעָרִים הָאֵל
. . .
But if a man bears hatred toward his fellow, and lies in wait for him, and rises against him, and strikes him so that he dies, and flees to one of these towns,
- Devarim 19:12
וְשָׁלְחוּ זִקְנֵי עִירוֹ וְלָקְחוּ אֹתוֹ מִשָּׁם וְנָתְנוּ אֹתוֹ בְּיַד גֹּאֵל הַדָּם--וָמֵת
. . .
then the elders of his town shall send and take him from there, and deliver him to the avenger of blood, so that he be slain.
- Devarim 19:13
לֹא-תָחוֹס עֵינְךָ עָלָיו וּבִעַרְתָּ דַם-הַנָּקִי מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְטוֹב לָךְ
. .
And you shall not have compassion on him; rather, banish the slayer of the innocent from among the house of Israel, so that it may go well for you.
- Devarim 19:14
לֹא תַסִּיג גְּבוּל רֵעֲךָ אֲשֶׁר גָּבְלוּ רִאשֹׁנִים--בְּנַחֲלָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּנְחַל בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּהּ
. . . .
Do not falsify the boundary of your fellow which the ancients have bounded, within your inheritance that you inherit, in the land which God your Lord is giving you to possess.
- Devarim 19:15
לֹא-יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל-עָוֹן וּלְכָל-חַטָּאת בְּכָל-חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא עַל-פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל-פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה-עֵדִים--יָקוּם דָּבָר
. . .
A single witness shall not stand against a person in any matter of transgressions and sins, and the offenses which he commits; but on the word of two witnesses or on the word of three shall matters be established.
- Devarim 19:16
כִּי-יָקוּם עֵד-חָמָס בְּאִישׁ לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ סָרָה
.
And if a witness of wrongdoing rises against a person to testify against him in an impossible matter,
- Devarim 19:17
וְעָמְדוּ שְׁנֵי-הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר-לָהֶם הָרִיב לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַשֹּׁפְטִים אֲשֶׁר יִהְיוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם
. . .
then the two men who have the dispute shall stand before God, before the imāms and the judges who serve in that time,
- Devarim 19:18
וְדָרְשׁוּ הַשֹּׁפְטִים הֵיטֵב וְהִנֵּה עֵד-שֶׁקֶר הָעֵד שֶׁקֶר עָנָה בְאָחִיו
. .
and they shall examine that judgment thoroughly; and if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
- Devarim 19:19
וַעֲשִׂיתֶם לוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם לַעֲשׂוֹת לְאָחִיו וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ
. .
then do to him as he intended to do to his brother; and banish the doers of evil from your midst.
- Devarim 19:20
וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ וְלֹא-יֹסִפוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד כַּדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה--בְּקִרְבֶּךָ
. .
And the remainder shall hear and be afraid, and shall not again do the like of this vile matter in your midst.
- Devarim 19:21
וְלֹא תָחוֹס עֵינֶךָ נֶפֶשׁ בְּנֶפֶשׁ עַיִן בְּעַיִן שֵׁן בְּשֵׁן יָד בְּיָד רֶגֶל בְּרָגֶל
. . .
And you shall not have compassion in retribution: life for life, and the compensation of eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
English is a working draft — author revising