Murder Begins in the Heart^(A)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to those ^[a]of old, ^(B)‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

³⁰ Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the ^(A)testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. ³¹ Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. ³² And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest. ³³ So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood ^(B)defiles the land, and no ^[a]atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except ^(C)by the blood of him who shed it. ³⁴ Therefore ^(D)do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for ^(E)I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.’ ”

The Law Concerning Violence

^12 (A)“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. ¹³ However, ^(B)if he did not lie in wait, but God ^(C)delivered him into his hand, then ^(D)I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

¹⁴ “But if a man acts with ^(E)premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, ^(F)you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

Go the Second Mile^(A)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ^(B)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

⁷ Then they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it. ⁸ Provide atonement, O Lord, for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, ^(A)and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of Your people Israel.’ And atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood. ⁹ So ^(B)you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.

^16 (A)‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁷ And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ^19 (B)The^[a] avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. ^20 (C)If he pushes him out of hatred or, ^(D)while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies, ²¹ or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

⁵ Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; ^(A)from the hand of every beast I will require it, and ^(B)from the hand of man. From the hand of every ^(C)man’s brother I will require the life of man.