“ 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,

“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.

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.

“ 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.

“ 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.

Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes— the place where his name will be honored.

“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law:

“ If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable.

Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled.“ Please, my lord,” one of them began,“ this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house.Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.“ But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it.Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her.And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”Then the other woman interrupted,“ It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”“ No,” the first woman said,“ the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.Then the king said,“ Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other.All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.Then he said,“ Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out,“ Oh no, my lord! Give her the child— please do not kill him!” But the other woman said,“ All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”Then the king said,“ Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

“ If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished.

then both the accuser and accused must appear before the Lord by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time.

In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests and clan leaders in Israel to serve as judges for cases involving the Lord’s regulations and for civil disputes.These were his instructions to them:“ You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart.Whenever a case comes to you from fellow citizens in an outlying town, whether a murder case or some other violation of God’s laws, commands, decrees, or regulations, you must warn them not to sin against the Lord, so that he will not be angry with you and them. Do this and you will not be guilty.

designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.

“ If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.

The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder.Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet.“ But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies.If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim’s nearest relative:The community must protect the slayer from the avenger and must escort the slayer back to live in the city of refuge to which he fled. There he must remain until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the sacred oil.“ But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge,and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder.The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property.These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live.“ All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death.And never accept a ransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing a slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest.This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.”

“ Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve.

“ The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves.

“ But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed.

All the tribes of Israel— the Lord’s people— make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord, as the law requires of Israel.Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David.

“ Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death.But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety.However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death.

“ If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder.

That way you will prevent the death of innocent people in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. You will not be held responsible for the death of innocent people.“ But suppose someone is hostile toward a neighbor and deliberately ambushes and murders him and then flees to one of the cities of refuge.

and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’