2-3. you must divide the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Divide it into three parts and choose a city in the middle of each part that can be a place of safety. You must also build good roads to these cities. Then whoever kills another person may run to the closest city of safety.
17. If that happens, both of them must go to the Lord’S special house and be judged by the priests and judges who are on duty at that time.
18. When the judges carefully ask their questions, they might find that the witness lied against the other person. If the witnesses tell lies,
19. you must punish them with the same punishment the other person would have received. In this way you will remove this evil from your group.
20. Other people will hear about this and be afraid, and people will not do evil things like that again.
21. “Don’t feel sorry about punishing someone who does wrong. If a life is taken, a life must be paid for it. The rule is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot—the punishment must equal the crime.