"Ifany caseis toodifficultfor you to decide,betweenone kind of homicideor another,betweenone kind of lawsuitor another,and betweenone kind of assaultor another,being casesof disputein your courts,then you shall ariseand goup to the placewhichthe LORDyour Godchooses.
Absalomused to riseearlyand standbesidethe wayto the gate;and when anymanhada suitto cometo the kingfor judgment,Absalomwould callto him and say,"From whatcityare you?" And he would say,"Your servantis from oneof the tribesof Israel."
As for the Izharites,Chenaniahand his sonswere [assigned] to outsidedutiesfor Israel,as officersand judges.
Mosessaidto his father-in-law,"Becausethe peoplecometo me to inquireof God.
They judgedthe peopleat alltimes;the difficultdisputethey would bringto Moses,but everyminordisputethey themselves would judge.
"Ifa manstrikeshis maleorfemaleslavewith a rodand he diesat his hand,he shall be punished.
"Ifmenstrugglewith each other and strikea womanwith childso that she givesbirthprematurely,yet there is noinjury,he shall surelybe finedas the woman'shusbandmay demandof him, and he shall payas the judges[decide].
"Ifan oxgoresa manora womanto death,the oxshall surelybe stonedand its fleshshall not be eaten;but the ownerof the oxshall gounpunished.
"Ifthe thiefis caughtwhile breakingin and is struckso that he dies,therewill be nobloodguiltinesson his account.
"Ifthe thiefis not caught,then the ownerof the houseshall appearbeforethe judges,[to] determine whetherhe laidhis handson his neighbor'sproperty.
"In a disputethey shall taketheir standto judge;they shall judgeit according to My ordinances.They shall also keepMy lawsand My statutesin allMy appointedfeastsand sanctifyMy sabbaths.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,Asknowthe priests[for] a ruling:
"For the lipsof a priestshould preserveknowledge,and men should seekinstructionfrom his mouth;for he is the messengerof the LORDof hosts.
then you shall selectfor yourselves citiesto be your citiesof refuge,that the manslayerwho has killedany personunintentionallymay fleethere.
But ifhe struckhim downwith an ironobject,so that he died,he is a murderer;the murderershall surelybe putto death.
You shall not showpartialityin judgment;you shall hearthe smalland the greatalike. You shall not fearman,for the judgmentis God's.The casethat is toohardfor you, you shall bringto me, and I will hearit.'
then it shall comeabout that the placein whichthe LORDyour Godwill choosefor His nameto dwell,thereyou shall bringallthat I commandyou: your burntofferingsand your sacrifices,your tithesand the contributionof your hand,and allyour choicevotiveofferingswhichyou will vowto the LORD.
but in the placewhichthe LORDchoosesin oneof your tribes,thereyou shall offeryour burntofferings,and thereyou shall doallthat I commandyou.
"But you shall seek[the LORD] at the placewhichthe LORDyour Godwill choosefrom allyour tribes,to establishHis nametherefor His dwelling,and thereyou shall come.
then boththe menwhohave the disputeshall standbeforethe LORD,beforethe priestsand the judgeswhowill be [in office] in thosedays.
"Now thisis the caseof the manslayerwhomay fleethereand live:whenhe killshis friendunintentionally,not hatinghim previously--
"Then the priests,the sonsof Levi,shall comenear,for the LORDyour Godhas chosenthem to serveHim and to blessin the nameof the LORD;and everydisputeand everyassaultshall be settledby them.
"Ifthere is a disputebetweenmenand they goto court,and the judgesdecidetheir case, and they justifythe righteousand condemnthe wicked,
