Deuteronomy 19

New International Version

Cities of Refuge^(A)

19 When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,^(B) ²then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. ³Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

⁴This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. ⁵For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. ⁶Otherwise, the avenger of blood^(C) might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. ⁷This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.

⁸If the Lord your God enlarges your territory,^(D) as he promised^(E) on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them, ⁹because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to him^(F)—then you are to set aside three more cities. ¹⁰Do this so that innocent blood^(G) will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.^(H)

¹¹But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor,^(I) and then flees to one of these cities, ¹²the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die. ¹³Show no pity.^(J) You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood,^(K) so that it may go well with you.

¹⁴Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.^(L)

Witnesses

¹⁵One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.^(M)

¹⁶If a malicious witness^(N) takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, ¹⁷the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges^(O) who are in office at the time. ¹⁸The judges must make a thorough investigation,^(P) and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, ¹⁹then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party.^(Q) You must purge the evil from among you. ²⁰The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid,^(R) and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. ²¹Show no pity:^(S) life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.^(T)

Isaiah 46

New International Version

Gods of Babylon

46 Bel^(A) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
    their idols^(B) are borne by beasts of burden.^[a]
The images that are carried^(C) about are burdensome,
    a burden for the weary.
²They stoop and bow down together;
    unable to rescue the burden,
    they themselves go off into captivity.^(D)

³“Listen^(E) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
    all the remnant^(F) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,^(G)
    and have carried^(H) since you were born.^(I)
⁴Even to your old age and gray hairs^(J)
    I am he,^(K) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain^(L) you and I will rescue you.

⁵“With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
    To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?^(M)
⁶Some pour out gold from their bags
    and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith^(N) to make it into a god,
    and they bow down and worship it.^(O)
⁷They lift it to their shoulders and carry^(P) it;
    they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
    From that spot it cannot move.^(Q)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;^(R)
    it cannot save^(S) them from their troubles.

⁸“Remember^(T) this, keep it in mind,
    take it to heart, you rebels.^(U)
⁹Remember the former things,^(V) those of long ago;^(W)
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.^(X)
¹⁰I make known the end from the beginning,^(Y)
    from ancient times,^(Z) what is still to come.^(AA)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,^(AB)
    and I will do all that I please.’
¹¹From the east I summon^(AC) a bird of prey;^(AD)
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned,^(AE) that I will do.^(AF)
¹²Listen^(AG) to me, you stubborn-hearted,^(AH)
    you who are now far from my righteousness.^(AI)
¹³I am bringing my righteousness^(AJ) near,
    it is not far away;
    and my salvation^(AK) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,^(AL)
    my splendor^(AM) to Israel.