Old/New Testament
19 2 The franchised towns. 14 Not to remove thy neighbor’s bounds. 16 The punishment of him that beareth false witness.
1 When the Lord thy God (A)shall root out the nations, whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou shalt possess them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses,
2 (B)Thou shalt separate three cities for thee, in the midst of thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
3 Thou shalt [a]prepare thee the way, and divide the coasts of the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every [b]manslayer may flee thither.
4 ¶ This also is the cause wherefore the manslayer shall flee thither, and live: who so killeth his neighbor ignorantly, and hated him not in time passed:
5 As he that goeth unto the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand striketh with the axe to cut down the tree, if the head slip from the helve, and hit his neighbor that he dieth, the same [c]shall flee unto one of the cities, and live,
6 Lest the (C)avenger of the blood follow after the manslayer while his heart is chafed, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, although he be not [d]worthy of death, because he hated him not in time passed.
7 Wherefore I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt appoint out three cities for thee.
8 And when the Lord thy God [e]enlargeth thy coasts (as he hath sworn unto thy fathers) and giveth thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers.
9 (If thou keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day: to wit, that thou love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways forever) (D)then thou shalt add three cities more for thee besides those three,
10 That no innocent blood be shed within thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, [f]lest blood be upon thee.
11 ¶ But if a man hate his neighbor, and lay wait for him, and rise against him, and smite any man that he die, and flee unto any of these cities,
12 Then the [g]Elders of his city shall send and fet him thence, and deliver him to the hands of the avenger of the blood, that he may die.
13 Thine [h]eye shall not spare him, but thou shalt put away the cry of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
14 ¶ Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s mark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, that thou shalt inherit in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
15 ¶ (E)One witness shall not rise against a man for any trespass, or for any sin, or for any fault that he offendeth in, (F)but at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be stablished.
16 ¶ If a false witness rise up against a man to accuse him of trespass,
17 Then both the men which strive together, shall stand before the [i]Lord, even before the Priests and the Judges, which shall be in those days.
18 And the Judges shall make diligent inquisition: and if the witness be found false, and hath given false witness against his brother,
19 (G)Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to do unto his brother: so thou shalt take evil away forth of the midst of thee.
20 And the rest shall hear this, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such wickedness among you.
21 Therefore thine eye shall have no compassion, but (H)life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
20 3 The exhortation of the Priest when the Israelites go to battle. 5 The exhortation of the officers showing who should go to battle. 10 Peace must be first proclaimed. 19 The trees that bear fruit must not be destroyed.
1 When [j]thou shalt go forth to war against thine enemies, and shalt see horses and chariots, and people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.
2 And when ye are come near unto the battle, then the Priest shall come forth to speak unto the people,
3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye are come this day unto battle against your enemies: (I)let not your hearts faint, neither fear, nor be amazed, nor a dread of them.
4 For the Lord your God [k]goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you.
5 ¶ And let the officers speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not [l]dedicated it, let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6 ¶ And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not [m]eaten of the fruit? let him go to return again unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another eat the fruit.
7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return again unto his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her.
8 And let the officers speak further unto the people, and say, (J)Whosoever is afraid and faint hearted, let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint like his heart.
9 And after that the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, they shall make captains of the army to govern the people.
10 ¶ When thou comest near unto a city to fight against it, (K)thou shalt offer it peace.
11 And if it answer thee again [n]peaceably, and open unto thee, then let all the people that is found therein, be tributaries unto thee, and serve thee.
12 But if it will make no peace with thee, but make war against thee, then shalt thou besiege it.
13 And the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thine hands, and thou shalt smite all the males thereof with the edge of the sword.
14 Only the women, and the children, (L)and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof shalt thou take unto thyself, and shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities, which are a great way off from thee, which are not of the cities of these [o]nations here.
16 But of the cities of this people, which the Lord thy God shall give thee to inherit, thou shalt save no person alive,
17 But shalt utterly destroy them, to wit, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee,
18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods, and so ye should sin against the Lord your God.
19 ¶ When thou hast besieged a city long time, and made war against it to take it, destroy not the trees thereof, by smiting an axe into them: for thou mayest eat of them: therefore thou shalt not cut them down to further thee in the siege, (for the [p]tree of the field is man’s life).
20 Only those trees which thou knowest are not for meat, those shalt thou destroy and cut down, and make forts against the city that maketh war with thee until thou subdue it.
21 2 Inquisition for murder. 11 Of the woman taken in war. 15 The birthright cannot be changed for affection. 18 The disobedient child. 23 The body may not hang all night.
1 If one be found [q]slain in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it is not known who hath slain him,
2 Then thine Elders and thy Judges shall come forth, and measure unto the cities that are round about him that is slain:
3 And let the Elders of that city, which is next unto the slain man, take out of the drove an heifer that hath not been put to labor, nor hath drawn in the yoke.
4 And let the Elders of that city bring the heifer unto a [r]stony [s]valley, which is neither eared, nor sown, and strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley.
5 Also the Priests the sons of Levi (whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister, and to bless in the Name of the Lord) shall come forth, and by their word shall all strife and plague be tried.
6 And all the Elders of that city that came near to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
7 And shall testify, and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
8 [t]O Lord, be merciful unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay no innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel, and the blood shall be forgiven them.
9 So shalt thou take away the cry of innocent blood from thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
10 ¶ When thou shalt go to war against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God shall deliver them into thine hands, and thou shalt take them captives,
11 And shalt see among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thy wife,
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, [u]and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails,
13 And she shall put off the garment that she was taken in, and she shall remain in thine house, [v]and bewail her father and her mother a month long: and after that shalt thou go in unto her, and marry her, and she shall be thy [w]wife.
14 And if thou have no favor unto her, then thou mayest let her go whither she will, but thou shalt not sell her for money, nor make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
15 ¶ If a man have two wives, one loved and another [x]hated, and they have born him children, both the loved and also the hated: if the firstborn be the son of the hated,
16 Then when the time cometh, that he appointeth his sons to be heirs of that which he hath, he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn [y]before the son of the hated, which is the firstborn:
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, and give him [z]double portion for all that he hath: for he is the first of his strength, and to [aa]him belongeth the right of firstborn.
18 ¶ If any man have a son that is stubborn and disobedient, which will not hearken unto the voice of his father, nor the voice of his [ab]mother, and they have chastened him, and he would not obey them,
19 Then shall his father and his mother take him, and bring him out unto the Elders of his city, and unto the gate of the place where he dwelleth,
20 And shall say unto the Elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and disobedient, and he will not obey our admonition: he is a rioter, and a drunkard.
21 Then all the men of his city shall [ac]stone him with stones unto death: so thou shalt take away evil from among you, that all Israel may hear it, and fear.
22 ¶ If a man also have committed a trespass worthy of death, and is put to death, and thou hangest him on a tree,
23 His body shall not remain [ad]all night upon the tree, but thou shalt bury him the same day: for the (M)curse of God is on him that is hanged. Defile not therefore thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit.
21 Then (A)if any man say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or lo, he is there, believe it not.
22 For false Christs shall rise, and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, to deceive if it were possible the very elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have showed you all things before.
24 ¶ Moreover in those days, after that tribulation, (B)the sun shall wax dark, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 And the stars of heaven shall fall: and the powers which are in heaven, shall shake.
26 And then shall they see the Son of man, coming in the clouds, with great power and glory.
27 (C)And he shall then send his Angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, and from the utmost part of the earth to the utmost part of heaven.
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When her bough is yet tender, and it bringeth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.
29 So in like manner, when ye see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near, even at the doors.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
32 [a]But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the Angels which are in heaven, neither the Son himself, but the Father.
33 (D)Take heed: watch, and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34 For the Son of man is as a man going into a strange country, and leaveth his house, and giveth authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commandeth the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore, (for ye know not when the master of the house will come, at even, or at midnight, at the cock crowing, or in the dawning,)
36 Lest if he come suddenly, he should find you sleeping.
37 And those things that I say unto you, I say unto all men, Watch.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.