Rules About Witnesses

¹⁵ One witness is not enough to accuse a person of a crime or sin. A case must be proved by two or three witnesses [17:6; Num. 35:30].

¹⁶ If a witness ·lies [is malicious/unjust] and accuses a person of a crime, ¹⁷ the two people who are arguing must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and judges who are ·on duty [in office in those days]. ¹⁸ The judges must check the matter carefully. The witness who is a liar, lying about a ·fellow Israelite [relative; brother], ¹⁹ must be punished. He must be punished in the same way the ·other person [relative; brother] would have been punished. You must ·get rid of [banish; purge] the evil among you. ²⁰ The rest of the people will hear about this and be afraid, and no one among you will ever do such an evil thing again. ²¹ ·Show no mercy [^LDo not let your eyes show compassion on him]. A life must be paid for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot [Ex. 21:24–25; Lev. 24:17–20].