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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Deuteronomy 19:15

You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Evidence;   Punishment;   Quotations and Allusions;   Witness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courts;   Witnesses;   The Topic Concordance - Recompense/restitution;   Witness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Courts of Justice;   Murder;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Lie;   Priest;   Witness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Evil;   Law;   Murder;   Punishment;   Testimony;   Word;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Witness;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Witnesses;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Accuser;   Court Systems;   Offense;   Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament;   Trial of Jesus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Justice;   Word;   Zebulun;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Mouth ;   Quotations;   Trial-At-Law;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Numbers as Symbols;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Crime;   Jesus Christ, the Arrest and Trial of;   Judge;   Nicodemus;   Witness;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Accommodation of the Law;   Accusatory and Inquisitorial Procedure;   Adultery;   Avenger of Blood;   Capital Punishment;   Circumstantial Evidence;   Commandments, the 613;   Johanan B. Nuri;   Lying;   Suchostaver, Mordecai;   Torah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Hebrew Names Version
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
The testimony of a single witness may not be used to convict with respect to any crime and for any wrongdoing in any offense that a person committed; on the evidence of two witnesses or on the evidence of three witnesses a charge shall be sustained.
English Standard Version
"A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.
New Century Version
One witness is not enough to accuse a person of a crime or sin. A case must be proved by two or three witnesses.
New English Translation
A single witness may not testify against another person for any trespass or sin that he commits. A matter may be legally established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Amplified Bible
"A single witness shall not appear in a trial against a man for any wrong or any sin which he has committed; [only] on the testimony or evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be confirmed.
New American Standard Bible
"A single witness shall not rise up against a person regarding any wrongdoing or any sin that he commits; on the testimony of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.
Geneva Bible (1587)
One witnes shall not rise against a man for any trespasse, or for any sinne, or for any fault that hee offendeth in, but at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be stablished.
Legacy Standard Bible
"A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; at the mouth of two or three witnesses a matter shall be established.
Contemporary English Version
Moses said to Israel: Before you are convicted of a crime, at least two witnesses must be able to testify that you did it.
Complete Jewish Bible
"One witness alone will not be sufficient to convict a person of any offense or sin of any kind; the matter will be established only if there are two or three witnesses testifying against him.
Darby Translation
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
Easy-to-Read Version
"If someone is accused of doing something against the law, one witness is not enough to prove that the person is guilty. There must be two or three witnesses to prove that the person really did wrong.
George Lamsa Translation
A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any offense, or for any crime, in whatever offense or crime he may commit; on the testimony of two witnesses, or on the testimony of three witnesses, shall a charge be established.
Good News Translation
"One witness is not enough to convict someone of a crime; at least two witnesses are necessary to prove that someone is guilty.
Literal Translation
One witness shall not rise against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin which he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses a thing shall be raised up to judgment .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
One witnesse shal not stonde vp alone agaynst a man, ouer eny trespace or synne, what maner of synne so euer it be, yt a man can do, but in the mouth of two or thre witnesses shal euery matter be stablished.
American Standard Version
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 a matter be established.
Bible in Basic English
One witness may not make a statement against a man in relation to any sin or wrongdoing which he has done: on the word of two or three witnesses a question is to be judged.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
One witnesse shall not rise agaynst a man for any maner trespasse, or for any maner sinne, or for any maner fault that he offendeth in: but at the mouth of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall the matter be stablished.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 a matter be establishment
King James Version (1611)
One witnesse shall not rise vp against a man for any iniquitie, or for any sinne, in any sinne that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be stablished.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
One witness shall not stand to testify against a man for any iniquity, or for any fault, or for any sin which he may commit; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, shall every word be established.
English Revised Version
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 a matter be established.
Berean Standard Bible
A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
O witnesse schal not stonde ayens ony man, what euer thing it is of synne and of wickidnesse; but ech word schal stonde in the mouth of tweyne ethir of thre witnessis.
Young's Literal Translation
`One witness doth not rise against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin which he sinneth; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, is a thing established.
Update Bible Version
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
New King James Version
"One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
New Living Translation
"You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
New Life Bible
"One person will not prove the guilt of a sin another man may have done. It will take two or three people who know about the sin to prove the man's guilt.
New Revised Standard
A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
One witness I shall not rise up, against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, with regard to any sin that he may commit, - at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses, must a matter be establish.
Douay-Rheims Bible
One witness shall not rise up against any man, whatsoever the sin or wickedness be: but in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand.
Revised Standard Version
"A single witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed; only on the evidence of two witnesses, or of three witnesses, shall a charge be sustained.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.

Contextual Overview

14 Don't move your neighbor's boundary markers, the longstanding landmarks set up by your pioneer ancestors defining their property. 15 You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case. 16If a hostile witness stands to accuse someone of a wrong, then both parties involved in the quarrel must stand in the Presence of God before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. The judges must conduct a careful investigation; if the witness turns out to be a false witness and has lied against his fellow Israelite, give him the same medicine he intended for the other party. Clean the polluting evil from your company. People will hear of what you've done and be impressed; that will put a stop to this kind of evil among you. Don't feel sorry for the person: It's life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

at the mouth: Deuteronomy 17:6, Numbers 35:30, 1 Kings 21:10, 1 Kings 21:13, Matthew 18:16, Matthew 26:60, Matthew 26:61, John 8:17, 2 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Timothy 5:19, Hebrews 10:28, Revelation 11:3-7

Reciprocal: Genesis 23:11 - in the Exodus 20:16 - General 2 Samuel 16:4 - Behold John 7:51 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
Before they went to bed men from all over the city of Sodom, young and old, descended on the house from all sides and boxed them in. They yelled to Lot, "Where are the men who are staying with you for the night? Bring them out so we can have our sport with them!"
Genesis 19:24
Then God rained brimstone and fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah—a river of lava from God out of the sky!—and destroyed these cities and the entire plain and everyone who lived in the cities and everything that grew from the ground.
Genesis 19:27
Abraham got up early the next morning and went to the place he had so recently stood with God . He looked out over Sodom and Gomorrah, surveying the whole plain. All he could see was smoke belching from the Earth, like smoke from a furnace.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth,.... Whether capital sins, or pecuniary debts; or whatsoever sins a man may be guilty of whether sins against the first or second table of the law, whether greater or lesser sins, whether in moral or civil things; the Jews except only in the case of a woman suspected of adultery and of beheading the heifer:

at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established; either for acquittance or condemnation; and the witnesses may not, as Jarchi says, write their testimony in a letter, and send it to the sanhedrim, nor may an interpreter stand between the witnesses and the judges;

:-.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 19:15. One witness shall not rise up, &c.Numbers 35:30.


 
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