People will bring their cases to your courts. But some cases will be too hard for you to judge. They might be about murders, attacks or other crimes. Then take those hard cases to the place the Lord your God will choose.

“你城中若起了争讼的事，或因流血，或因争竞，或因殴打，是你难断的案件，你就当起来，往耶和华你神所选择的地方

“你城中若有难以判断的案件，涉及流血，诉讼，或殴打等争讼的事，你就要起来，上到那里，耶和华—你上帝所选择的地方，

“你城中若有难以判断的案件，涉及流血，诉讼，或殴打等争讼的事，你就要起来，上到那里，耶和华—你神所选择的地方，

“如果案件复杂，难以决断，如谋杀、诉讼、人身伤害等，就要把案件带到你们的上帝耶和华选定的地方，

“在你的城里如果有什么争讼的事：或是流血，或是诉讼，或是殴打，是你很难处决的案件，你就要起来，上到耶和华你的神选择的地方，

「你城中若起了爭訟的事，或因流血，或因爭競，或因毆打，是你難斷的案件，你就當起來，往耶和華－你神所選擇的地方

「你城中若有難以判斷的案件，涉及流血，訴訟，或毆打等爭訟的事，你就要起來，上到那裏，耶和華－你上帝所選擇的地方，

「你城中若有難以判斷的案件，涉及流血，訴訟，或毆打等爭訟的事，你就要起來，上到那裏，耶和華－你神所選擇的地方，

「如果案件複雜，難以決斷，如謀殺、訴訟、人身傷害等，就要把案件帶到你們的上帝耶和華選定的地方，

“在你的城裡如果有甚麼爭訟的事：或是流血，或是訴訟，或是毆打，是你很難處決的案件，你就要起來，上到耶和華你的神選擇的地方，

『在你城內若有案件在流血與流血之間、辯訴與辯訴之間、毆打與毆打之間、爭訟的點太離奇、不是你所能判斷的，那麼你就要起來，上永恆主你的上帝所要選擇的地方，

如爾邑中有訟事、為流血、為爭競、為鬥毆、爾所難鞫者、則當詣爾上帝耶和華所選之處、

如爾邑中有訟事、為流血、為爭競、為加害、爾所難鞫者、則必詣爾上帝耶和華特簡之室、

如爾邑中有詞訟、或因流血、或因爭競、或因鬥傷、爾所難鞫者、則當起、往主爾天主所選之處、

If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge— whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults— take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.

“ If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose.

“ Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide— for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the Lord your God will choose,

“ If a case is too difficult for you— concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults— cases disputed at your city gates, then go up to the place the LORD your God chooses.

“ If a case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, that are cases of dispute in your courts, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses.

“ If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses.

If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose;

“ If a case is too difficult for you— concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults— cases disputed at your gates, you must go up to the place the Lord your God chooses.

If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke,[ being] matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;

If a matter is too difficult for you to judge– bloodshed, legal claim, or assault– matters of controversy in your villages– you must leave there and go up to the place the LORD your God chooses.

If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Yahweh your God chooses.

Instead, go to the special place he will choose from among all your tribes. He will put his Name there. That’s where you must go.

The Lord who rules over all speaks. He says,“ Ask the priests what the law says.

“ Suppose a bull kills a man or woman with its horns. Then you must kill the bull by throwing stones at it. Its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held accountable.

Two prostitutes came to the king. They stood in front of him.One of them said,“ Pardon me, my master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me.Three days after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone. There wasn’t anyone in the house but the two of us.“ During the night this woman’s baby died. It happened because she was lying on top of him.So she got up in the middle of the night. She took my son from my side while I was asleep. She put him by her breast. Then she put her dead son by my breast.The next morning, I got up to nurse my son. But he was dead! I looked at him closely in the morning light. And I saw that it wasn’t my baby.”The other woman said,“ No! The living baby is my son. The dead one belongs to you.” But the first woman said,“ No! The dead baby is yours. The living one belongs to me.” So they argued in front of the king.The king said,“ One of you says,‘ My son is alive. Your son is dead.’ The other one says,‘ No! Your son is dead. Mine is alive.’ ”He continued,“ Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to him.Then he gave an order. He said,“ Cut the living child in two. Give half to one woman and half to the other.”The woman whose son was alive was filled with deep love for her son. She said to the king,“ My master, please give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other woman said,“ Neither one of us will have him. Cut him in two!”Then the king made his decision. He said,“ Give the living baby to the first woman. Don’t kill him. She’s his mother.”All the Israelites heard about the decision the king had given. That gave them great respect for him. They saw that God had given him wisdom. They knew that Solomon would do what was right and fair when he judged people.

“ Suppose a person beats their male or female slave to death with a club. That person must be punished.

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.

In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat chose some Levites and priests. He also chose some leaders of Israelite families. He appointed all of them to apply the law of the Lord fairly. He wanted them to decide cases. He wanted them to settle matters between people. All those judges lived in Jerusalem.Here are the orders Jehoshaphat gave them. He said,“ Have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart.Cases will come to you from your people who live in the other cities. The cases might be about murder or other matters dealt with by the law, commands, directions and rules. Warn the people not to sin against the Lord. If you don’t warn them, he will be angry with you and your people. Do what I say. Then you won’t sin.

When you do, choose the cities to go to for safety. People who have killed someone by accident can run to one of those cities.

Here is the rule about a person who kills someone. That person can run to one of those cities for safety. The rule applies to anyone who kills a neighbor they didn’t hate and didn’t mean to kill.

The dead person’s nearest male relative must kill the murderer. When he meets up with him, he must kill the murderer.What if a person makes evil plans against someone else? And what if that person pushes them so that they die? Or what if that person throws something at them so that they die?Or what if that person hits another person with a fist so that the other dies? Then the person who does any of those things must be put to death. That person is a murderer. The dead person’s nearest male relative must kill the murderer. When he meets up with him, he must kill the murderer.“‘ But what if a person suddenly pushes someone else without being angry? Or what if that person throws something at someone else without meaning to?Or what if that person does not see the other person and drops a stone on them that kills them? He was not the dead person’s enemy. He did not mean to harm them.Then the court must decide between the person who did the act and the nearest male relative of the one who was killed. Here are the rules the court must follow.The court must provide a safe place for the person accused of murder. It must keep the one accused of murder safe from those who want to kill them. The court must send the accused person back to the city they ran to for safety. The accused person must stay there until the high priest dies. That priest has been anointed with holy oil.“‘ But suppose the accused person goes outside that city.And suppose the dead person’s nearest male relative finds them outside the city. Then the relative can kill the accused person. The relative will not be guilty of murder.The accused person must stay in that city until the high priest dies. Only then may they return home.“‘ This is what the law requires of you for all time to come. It will apply to you no matter where you live.“‘ Suppose a person kills someone. Then that person must be put to death as a murderer. But do it only when there are witnesses who can tell what happened. Do not put anyone to death if only one witness tells what happened.“‘ Do not accept payment for a murderer’s life. A murderer deserves to die. They must certainly be put to death.“‘ Do not accept payment for anyone who has run to a city for safety. Do not let them buy their freedom to return home. They must not go back and live on their own land before the high priest dies.“‘ Do not pollute the land where you are. Murder pollutes the land. Only one thing can pay to remove the pollution in the land where murder has been committed. The blood of the one who spilled another’s blood must be spilled.So do not make the land where you live“ unclean,” because I live there too. I, the Lord, live among the Israelites.’ ”

“ Suppose some people are fighting and one of them hits a pregnant woman. And suppose she has her baby early but is not badly hurt. Then the one who hurt her must pay a fine. That person must pay what the woman’s husband asks for and the court allows.

“ The lips of a priest should guard knowledge. After all, he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all. And people seek instruction from his mouth.

They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses. But they decided the easy ones themselves.

“‘ Suppose a person uses an iron object to hit and kill someone. Then that person is a murderer and must be put to death.

The tribes of the Lord go there to praise his name. They do it in keeping with the law he gave to Israel.The thrones of the family line of David are there. That’s where the people are judged.

“ Anyone who hits and kills someone else must be put to death.Suppose they did not do it on purpose. Suppose I let it happen. Then they can escape to a place I will choose.But suppose they kill someone on purpose. Then take them away from my altar and put them to death.

“ Suppose you catch a thief breaking into your house at night. And suppose you hit the thief and the thief dies. Then you are not guilty of murder.

Do it to protect those not guilty of murder. Then you won’t spill their blood in your land. It’s the land the Lord your God is giving you as your own.But suppose a man hates his neighbor. So he hides and waits for him. Then he attacks him and kills him. And he runs to one of those cities for safety.

When you judge them, treat everyone the same. Listen to those who are important and those who are not. Don’t be afraid of anyone. God is the highest judge. Bring me any case that is too hard for you. I’ll listen to it.”