VERSE STUDY • KJV

Deuteronomy 19:16-21

¹⁶ If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him [that which is] wrong; ¹⁷ Then both the men, between whom the controversy [is], shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; ¹⁸ And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, [if] the witness [be] a false witness, [and] hath testified falsely against his brother; ¹⁹ Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. ²⁰ And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. ²¹ And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

¹⁶ If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him [that which is] wrong; ¹⁷ Then both the men, between whom the controversy [is], shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; ¹⁸ And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, [if] the witness [be] a false witness, [and] hath testified falsely against his brother; ¹⁹ Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. ²⁰ And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. ²¹ And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹⁶ If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, ¹⁷ both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. ¹⁸ The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, ¹⁹ you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you. ²⁰ Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you. ²¹ You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

WEB World English Bible

¹⁶ If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, ¹⁷ then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; ¹⁸ and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother; ¹⁹ then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you. ²⁰ Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of you. ²¹ Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

ASV American Standard Version

¹⁶ If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrong-doing, ¹⁷ then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days; ¹⁸ and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and have testified falsely against his brother; ¹⁹ then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to do unto his brother: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee. ²⁰ And those that remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of thee. ²¹ And thine eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹⁶ ‘When a violent witness doth rise against a man, to testify against him apostasy, ¹⁷ then have both the men who have the strife stood before Jehovah, before the priests and the judges who are in those days, ¹⁸ and the judges have searched diligently, and lo, the witness is a false witness, a falsehood he hath testified against his brother: ¹⁹ ‘Then ye have done to him as he devised to do to his brother, and thou hast put away the evil thing out of thy midst, ²⁰ and those who are left do hear and fear, and add not to do any more according to this evil thing in thy midst; ²¹ and thine eye doth not pity—life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Surrounding context — Deuteronomy 19

13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away [the guilt of] innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him [that which is] wrong;

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy [is], shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, [if] the witness [be] a false witness, [and] hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21 And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

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