Deuteronomy 19:15-21

New International Reader's Version

Witnesses

¹⁵ Suppose someone is charged with committing a crime of any kind. Then one witness won’t be enough to prove that person is guilty. Every matter must be proved by the words of two or three witnesses.

¹⁶ Suppose a witness who tells lies goes to court and brings charges against someone. The witness says someone committed a crime. ¹⁷ Then the two people in the case must stand in front of the Lord. They must stand in front of the priests and the judges who are in office at that time. ¹⁸ The judges must check out the matter carefully. And suppose the witness is proved to be lying. Then he has said something false in court against another Israelite. ¹⁹ So do to the lying witness what he tried to do to the other person. Get rid of that evil witness. ²⁰ The rest of the people will hear about it. And they will be afraid. They won’t allow such an evil thing to be done among them again. ²¹ Don’t feel sorry for that evil person. A life must be taken for a life. An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. A hand must be cut off for a hand and a foot for a foot.