Deuteronomy 1 "When the LORD, your God, removes the nations whose land he is giving you, and you have taken their place and are settled in their cities and houses, 当上主你天主消灭了那些异民,上主你的天主将他们的土地赐给了你,而你占领了那地,住在他们的城镇和房屋里以后, 2 1 you shall set apart three cities in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you to occupy. 应在上主你的天主赐给你作产业的地方,划出三座城, 3 You shall thereby divide into three regions the land which the LORD, your God, will give you as a heritage, and so arrange the routes that every homicide will be able to find a refuge. 修好到那里去的道路,将上主你的天主给你作产业的地方,分为三个区域,这样使杀了人的,可逃到那里去。 4 "It is in the following case that a homicide may take refuge in such a place to save his life: when someone unwittingly kills his neighbor to whom he had previously borne no malice. 杀人犯逃到那里得保全性命的案件应是这样:假使有人无意杀了邻人,彼此又素无仇怨: 5 For example, if he goes with his neighbor to a forest to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, its head flies off the handle and hits his neighbor a mortal blow, he may take refuge in one of these cities to save his life. 比如他与邻人同去林中伐树,当他手挥斧子伐树时,斧头脱了柄,落在邻人身上,以致毙命,他就可逃到这些城中的一座城去,为保全性命, 6 2 Should the distance be too great, the avenger of blood may in the heat of his anger pursue the homicide and overtake him and strike him dead, even though he does not merit death since he had previously borne the slain man no malice. 以免报血仇者心中发火追赶杀人者,因路途遥远,而能赶上他,将他杀死;其实他与那人素无仇怨,罪不该死。 7 That is why I order you to set apart three cities. 为此我吩咐你:应划出三座城。 8 "But if the LORD, your God, enlarges your territory, as he swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land he promised your fathers he would give 当上主你的天主,照他向你的祖先誓许的,扩展了你的疆域,将许下要给你祖先的整个土地赐给你时,── 9 in the event that you carefully observe all these commandments which I enjoin on you today, loving the LORD, your God, and ever walking in his ways: then add three cities to these three. 倘若你谨守遵行我今日吩咐你的这一切诫命,爱上主你的天主,日日履行他的道路,──你应在这三座城以外,另设三座城, 10 Thus, in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you as a heritage, innocent blood will not be shed and you will not become guilty of bloodshed. 免得无罪者的血,流在上主你的天主赐给你作产业的土地上,血债归在你身上。 11 "However, if someone lies in wait for his neighbor out of hatred for him, and rising up against him, strikes him mortally, and then takes refuge in one of these cities, 但是,如果有人怀恨自己的邻人,埋伏突击他,而将他杀死,然后逃到这些城中的一座, 12 the elders of his own city shall send for him and have him taken from there, and shall hand him over to be slain by the avenger of blood. 他本城的长老应派人去,将他从那里逮回,交于报血仇者手中,将他处死; 13 Do not look on him with pity, but purge from 你不可怜视他,而应由以色列中洗除无辜的血:如此你才能平安无事。 14 "You shall not move your neighbor's landmarks erected by your forefathers in the heritage you receive in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you to occupy. 在上主你的天主赐给你作产业所分得的土地上,不可移动你邻人的地界,因为是先人所划定的。 15 "One witness alone shall not take the stand against a man in regard to any crime or any offense of which he may be guilty; a judicial fact shall be established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 人无论犯了什么不义,什么罪恶,或什么过错,只凭一个见证,罪名不得成立;须凭两个或三个见证的口供,才可定案。 16 "If an unjust witness takes the stand against a man to accuse him of a defection from the law, 若有人怀有恶意,起来作证控告某人犯法, 17 the two parties in the dispute shall appear before the LORD in the presence of the priests or judges in office at that time; 二人应一同站在上主面前,和值班的司祭及判官面前。 18 and if after a thorough investigation the judges find that the witness is a false witness and has accused his kinsman falsely, 判官应仔细考问。若那作证的是一个假证人,诬告自己的兄弟, 19 you shall do to him as he planned to do to his kinsman. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. 你就应对付他,如同他想对付自己的兄弟一样:这样你便由你中间铲除了这邪恶, 20 The rest, on hearing of it, shall fear, and never again do a thing so evil among you. 其余的人听了,必然害怕,在你中间再不致有这样的恶事发生。 21 Do not look on such a man with pity. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot! 你不可发慈悲,要以命偿命,以眼还眼,以牙还牙,以手还手,以脚还脚。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [2] Set apart three cities: the Israelites were to have at least six cities of refuge, three in the land east of the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan west of the Jordan (Numbers 35:9-34); but since the three cities east of the Jordan had now been appointed (Deut 4:41-43), reference is made here only to the three west of the Jordan. The execution of this command is narrated in Joshua 20. 2 [6] The avenger of blood: see note on Numbers 35:12. |