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intercession for the people (Deut. 9:18; Heb. 7:25); 5) He spoke with God face-to-face (Ex. 34:29,30;
2 Cor.3:7); and 6) He was the mediator of a covenant (Deut. 29:1; Heb. 8:6,7).
In contrast to the true Prophet, Moses predicted there would be false prophets who would
come to Israel,speaking not in the name of the Lord,but in the name of false gods (vv.20–22).How
could the people tell if a prophet was authentically speaking for God? Moses said,“If the thing does
not happen,”it was not from God.The characteristic of false prophets is the failure of their predic-
tions to always come true.Sometimes false prophets speak and it happens as they said,but they are
representing false gods and trying to turn people from the true God—they must be rejected and
executed (13:1–5). Other times, false prophets are more subtle and identify with the true God but
speak lies.If ever a prophecy of such a prophet fails,he is shown to be false (Jer.28:15–17;29:30–32).

“But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in
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MARCH 29 wait for him, rises against him and strikes him
mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of
these cities, then the elders of his city shall
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send and bring him from there, and deliver
Deuteronomy 19:1–20:20
him over to the hand of the avenger of blood,
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“When the LORD your God has cut off the that he may die. Your eye shall not pity him,
19 nations whose land the LORD your God is but you shall put away the guilt of innocent
giving you, and you dispossess them and blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.
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dwell in their cities and in their houses, you 14 “You shall not remove your neighbor’s land-
shall separate three cities for yourself in the mark, which the men of old have set, in your
midst of your land which the LORD your God is inheritance which you will inherit in the land
giving you to possess. You shall prepare that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
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roads for yourself, and divide into three parts 15 “One witness shall not rise against a man
the territory of your land which the LORD your concerning any iniquity or any sin that he
God is giving you to inherit, that any manslay- commits; by the mouth of two or three wit-
er may flee there. nesses the matter shall be established. If a
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4 “And this is the case of the manslayer who false witness rises against any man to testify
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flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his against him of wrongdoing, then both men in
neighbor unintentionally, not having hated the controversy shall stand before the LORD,
him in time past— as when a man goes to the before the priests and the judges who serve in
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woods with his neighbor to cut timber, and his those days. And the judges shall make care-
hand swings a stroke with the ax to cut down ful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false
the tree, and the head slips from the handle witness, who has testified falsely against his
and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he brother, then you shall do to him as he
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shall flee to one of these cities and live; lest thought to have done to his brother; so you
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the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, shall put away the evil from among you. And
pursue the manslayer and overtake him, those who remain shall hear and fear, and
because the way is long, and kill him, though hereafter they shall not again commit such
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he was not deserving of death, since he had evil among you. Your eye shall not pity: life
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not hated the victim in time past. Therefore I shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,
command you, saying, ‘You shall separate hand for hand, foot for foot.
three cities for yourself.’ “When you go out to battle against
8 “Now if the LORD your God enlarges your 20 your enemies, and see horses and
territory, as He swore to your fathers, and chariots and people more numerous than you,
gives you the land which He promised to give do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your
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to your fathers, and if you keep all these com- God is with you, who brought you up from the
mandments and do them, which I command land of Egypt. So it shall be, when you are on
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you today, to love the LORD your God and to the verge of battle, that the priest shall
walk always in His ways, then you shall add approach and speak to the people. And he
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three more cities for yourself besides these shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you
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three, lest innocent blood be shed in the are on the verge of battle with your enemies.
midst of your land which the LORD your God is Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid,
giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of and do not tremble or be terrified because of
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bloodshed be upon you. them; for the LORD your God is He who goes
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