Reformation Directory

2 The frāchiſed townes 14 Not to remoue thy neighbours bondes. 16 The puniſhment of him that beareth falſe witnes.

1.WHē the Lord thy God ^* ſhal roote out the nacions, whoſe lād the Lord thy God giueth thee, and thou ſhalt poſſeſſe them, and dwel in their cities, and in their houſes,

2.^* Thou ſhalt ſeparate thre cities for thee in the middes of thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee to poſſeſſe it.

3.Thou ſhalt ^a prepare thee the waie, & deuide the coaſtes of the land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee to inherit, into thre partes, that euerie ^b manſlayer may flee thether.

4.¶ This alſo is yt cauſe wherefore the māſlaier ſhal flee thether, and liue: whoſo killeth his neighbour ignorantly, & hated him not in time paſſed:

5.As he that goeth vnto the wood with his neighbour to hewe wood, and his hand ſtriketh with the axe to cut downe the tre, if the head ſlip from the helue, and hitte his neighbour that he dyeth, yt ſame ^c ſhal flee vnto one of the cities, & liue,

6.Leſt the ^* auenger of the blood followe after the māſlaier, while his heart is chafed, and ouertake him, becauſe the way is long, & ſlay him, althogh he be not ^" worthy of death, becauſe he hated him not in time paſſed.

7.Wherefore I cōmande thee, ſayig, Thou ſhalt appoint out thre cities for thee.

8.And when the Lord thy God ^d enlarge thy coaſtes (as he hathe ſworne vnto thy fathers) and giueth thee all the land which he promiſed to giue vnto thy fathers,

9.(If thou kepe all theſe commandements to do them, which I commande thee this day: to wit, that thou loue the Lord thy God, and walke in his waies for euer) ^* thē ſhalt thou adde thre cities mo for thee beſides thoſe thre,

10.That innocent blood be not ſhed within thy land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee to inherit, ^e leſt blood be vpon thee.

11.¶ But if a man hate his neighbour, and laie waite for him, and riſe againſt him, & ſmite any man that he dye, and flee vnto any of theſe cities,

12.Then the ^f Elders of his citie ſhal ſend and fet him thence, and deliuer him into the hands of the auenger of the blood, that he may dye.

13.Thine ^g eie ſhal not ſpare him, but thou ſhalt put away the crye of innocent blood from Iſraél, that it may go wel with thee.

14.¶ Thou ſhalt not remoue thy neighbours marke, which they of olde time haue ſet in thine inheritance, that thou ſhalt inherit in the lād, which the Lord thy God giueth thee to poſſeſſe it.

15.¶ ^* One witnes ſhal not riſe againſt a mā for any treſpas, or for any ſinne, or for any faute that he offendeth in, but at the mouth of two witneſſes or at the mouth of thre witneſſes ſhal the matter be ſtabliſhed.

16.¶ If a falſe witnes riſe vp againſt a man to accuſe him of treſpaſſe,

17.Then bothe the men which ſtriue together, ſhal ſtand before the ^h Lord, euen before the Prieſts and the Iudges, which ſhalbe in thoſe daies,

18.And the Iudges ſhal make diligent inquiſicion: and if the witnes be founde falſe, and hathe giuen falſe witnes againſt his brother,

19.^* Then ſhal ye do vnto him as he had thoght to do vnto his brother: ſo thou ſhalt take euil away frō the of the middes of thee.

20.And the reſt ſhal heare this, and feare; and ſhal henceforthe cōmit no more any ſuche wickednes among you.

21.Therefore thine eie ſhal haue no compaſsion, but ^* life for life, eie for eie, tothe for tothe, hand for hand, fote for fote.

Deuteronomy 19

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