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whole counsel of God; all that the Father commanded, he made known unto the world. He introduced a new and glorious dispensation, a system of the most excellent laws, confirmed by various miracles, by the prophesy of events which have been accomplished, and especially by his own resurrection. The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He is God's beloved Son, his authorised messenger, let us, therefore, hear him. It is at our peril if we reject him: for, if he that despised Moses' law died without mercy, of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who tramples on the blood of the Son of God? He that believeth on the Son hath life; but he that believeth not, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

CHAP. XIX.

Of the cities of refuge, and the privileges thereof; the landmark not to be removed; two witnesses at least required to prove a crimi nal fact; and the punishment of a false witness,

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HEN the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their hous2 es; 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 prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into 4 three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. And this [is] the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live, whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he 5 hated not in time past; As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; 6 he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he [was] not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him 7 not in time past. Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou 8 shalt separate three cities for thee. And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his way; then shalt thou add 10 three cities more for thee, beside these three: That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance, and [so] blood be upon thee.

But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, 12 and fleeth into one of these cities; Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence; and deliver him into 13 the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away [the guilt of] innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee. 14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against 17 him [that which is] wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy [is,] shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days; 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold,

[if] the witness [be] a false witness, [and] hath testified false19 ly against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother; so shalt thou put the 20 evil away from among you. And those which remain shall

hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such 21 evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

CHAP. XX.

The priest's exhortation to encourage the people to battle; how to treat the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace; and what cities must be devoted to destruction.

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HEN thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid of them; for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that 3 the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, Q Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because 4 of them; For the LORD your God [is] he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

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And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man [is there] that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in 6 the battle, and another man dedicate it. And what man [is he] that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not [yet] eaten of it? let him [also] go and return unto his house, lest he die 7 in the battle, and another man eat of it. And what man [is there] that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man [is there that is] fearful and faint hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

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When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then 11 proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee an

swer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, [that] all the people [that is] found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, 12 and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with

thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege 13 it: And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine

hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of 14 the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, [even] all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou 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] very far off from thee, which [are] not of the cities of these nations. 16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive 17 nothing that breatheth: But thou shalt utterly destroy them: [namely,] the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD 18 thy God hath commanded thee: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

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When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them; for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down, (for the tree of the field [is] 20 man's [life]) to employ [them] in the siege : Only the trees which thou knowest that they [be] not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bul warks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued,

CHAP. XXI.

The expiation of a murder, when the slayer is unknown; the firstborn is not to be disinherited upon private affection; a rebellious son must be stoned to death.

1 F [one] be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God

2 known who hath slain him: Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which 3 [are] round about him that is slain; And it shall be, [that] the city [which is] next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, [and] which hath not drawn in the yoke; And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off 5 the heifer's neck there in the valley: And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and 6 every stroke be [tried :] And all the elders of that city, [that are] next unto the slain [man,] shall wash their hands over 7 the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither 8 have our eyes seen [it.] Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent 9 blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. So shalt thou put away the [guilt of] innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do [that which is] right in the sight of the LORD.

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When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and 11 thou hast taken them captive, And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou 12 wouldst have her to thy wife; Then thou shalt bring her

home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pair 13 her nails; And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. 14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

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If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, [both] the beloved and the hated; and [if] the firstborn son be her's that was hated:

16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit [that] which he hath, [that] he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, [which is indeed] the 17 firstborn: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated [for] the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath for he [is] the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn [is] his.

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If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and and [that] when they have chastened him, will not hearken 19 unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and 20 unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son [is] stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; [he is] a glutton, and a drunkard. 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

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And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and 23 he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God ;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.

CHAP. XXII.

Of humanity toward brethren; the distinction of the sexes by apparel; of adultery, rapes, fornication, and incest.

HOU shalt not see thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother. And if thy brother [be] hot nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again. 2 In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment ; and with all lost things of thy brother's which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself. Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way and hide thyself from them thou shalt surely help him to lift [them] up again.

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The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment for all that do so [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God.

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