¹⁶If a malicious witness^f gets up to accuse^g anyone to testify against him falsely, ¹⁷then the two men to whom the legal dispute pertains^h shall stand beforeⁱ Yahweh, before^j the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. ¹⁸Then judges shall make a thorough inquiry, and if it turns out^k that the witness is a false witness and he testified falsely against his brother, ¹⁹then you shall do to him as he meant^l to do to his brother, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.

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Footnotes

fLiterally “a witness of violence”
gLiterally “against”
hLiterally “who for them are the legal dispute”
iLiterally “to the face of”
jLiterally “to the face of”
kOr “in fact”
lOr “planned”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“If a malicious witness testifies against someone accusing him of a crime, the two people in the dispute are to stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and judges in authority at that time. The judges are to make a careful investigation, and if the witness turns out to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you.

NLTNew Living Translation

“If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime, then both the accuser and accused must appear before the Lord by coming to the priests and judges in office at that time. The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite, you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you.

KJV 1900King James Version

If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 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; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 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.

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