Deuteronomy 19:15-21
Lexham English Bible
15 The testimony of a single witness may not be used to convict[a] with respect to any crime and for any wrongdoing in any offense that a person[b] committed; on the evidence[c] of two witnesses or on the evidence[d] of three witnesses a charge shall be sustained.[e] 16 If a malicious witness[f] gets up to accuse[g] anyone to testify against him falsely, 17 then the two men to whom the legal dispute pertains[h] shall stand before[i] Yahweh, before[j] the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. 18 Then judges shall make a thorough inquiry, and if it turns out[k] that the witness is a false witness and he testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you shall do to him as he meant[l] to do to his brother, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst. 20 And the rest[m] shall hear and shall fear, and they shall not continue to do such a thing again[n] as this evil thing in your midst. 21 You must show no pity:[o] life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
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- Deuteronomy 19:15 Literally “Not shall get up only a single witness against a man”
- Deuteronomy 19:15 Hebrew “he”
- Deuteronomy 19:15 Literally “mouth”
- Deuteronomy 19:15 Literally “mouth”
- Deuteronomy 19:15 Literally “shall be established a case/charge”
- Deuteronomy 19:16 Literally “a witness of violence”
- Deuteronomy 19:16 Literally “against”
- Deuteronomy 19:17 Literally “who for them are the legal dispute”
- Deuteronomy 19:17 Literally “to the face of”
- Deuteronomy 19:17 Literally “to the face of”
- Deuteronomy 19:18 Or “in fact”
- Deuteronomy 19:19 Or “planned”
- Deuteronomy 19:20 Literally “and those remaining”
- Deuteronomy 19:20 Literally “and they shall not do again to do again”
- Deuteronomy 19:21 Literally “And not take pity your eye”
Deuteronomy 19:15-21
Common English Bible
Rules for testimony
15 A solitary witness against someone in any crime, wrongdoing, or in any sort of misdeed that might be done is not sufficient. The decision must stand by two or three witnesses. 16 Now if a spiteful witness comes forward against someone, so as to testify against them falsely, 17 the two persons who have a legal suit must stand before the Lord, before the priests, and before the judges that are in office at that time. 18 The judges will look into the situation very carefully. If it turns out that the witness is a liar—that the witness has given false testimony against his fellow Israelite— 19 then you must do to him what he had planned to do to his fellow Israelite. Remove[a] such evil from your community! 20 The rest of the people will hear about this and be afraid. They won’t do that sort of evil thing among you again. 21 Show no mercy on this point: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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- Deuteronomy 19:19 Or burn
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