(ו) זִקְנֵי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר רוֹחֲצִין אֶת יְדֵיהֶן בַּמַּיִם בִּמְקוֹם עֲרִיפָה שֶׁל עֶגְלָה, וְאוֹמְרִים, (שם) יָדֵינוּ לֹא שָׁפְכֻה אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ. וְכִי עַל דַּעְתֵּנוּ עָלְתָה, שֶׁזִּקְנֵי בֵית דִּין שׁוֹפְכֵי דָמִים הֵן, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא בָא לְיָדֵינוּ וּפְטַרְנוּהוּ בְלֹא מָזוֹן, וְלֹא רְאִינוּהוּ וְהִנַּחְנוּהוּ בְלֹא לְוָיָה. וְהַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמְרִים, (שם) כַּפֵּר לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ ה' וְאַל תִּתֵּן דָּם נָקִי בְּקֶרֶב עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לוֹמַר (שם) וְנִכַּפֵּר לָהֶם הַדָּם, אֶלָּא רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְבַשַּׂרְתָּן, אֵימָתַי שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ כָּכָה, הַדָּם מִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם:
(ז) נִמְצָא הַהוֹרֵג עַד שֶׁלֹּא נֶעֶרְפָה הָעֶגְלָה, תֵּצֵא וְתִרְעֶה בָעֵדֶר. מִשֶּׁנֶּעֶרְפָה הָעֶגְלָה, תִּקָּבֵר בִּמְקוֹמָהּ, שֶׁעַל סָפֵק בָּאתָה מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ, כִּפְּרָה סְפֵקָהּ וְהָלְכָה לָהּ. נֶעֶרְפָה הָעֶגְלָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִמְצָא הַהוֹרֵג, הֲרֵי זֶה יֵהָרֵג:
(ח) עֵד אֶחָד אוֹמֵר רָאִיתִי אֶת הַהוֹרֵג, וְעֵד אֶחָד אוֹמֵר לֹא רָאִיתָ, אִשָּׁה אוֹמֶרֶת רָאִיתִי וְאִשָּׁה אוֹמֶרֶת לֹא רָאִית, הָיוּ עוֹרְפִין. עֵד אֶחָד אוֹמֵר רָאִיתִי, וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים לֹא רָאִיתָ, הָיוּ עוֹרְפִין. שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים רָאִינוּ וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר לָהֶן לֹא רְאִיתֶם, לֹא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִין:
(6) The elders of that city wash their hands with water in the place where the heifer's neck was broken and they say, “Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it” (Deuteronomy 21:7). But did we really think that the elders of the court are shedders of blood! Rather, he did not come to us and we dismissed him without supplying him with food and we did not see him and let him go without escort. Then the priests exclaim, “Absolve, O Lord, Your people Israel, whom You redeemed, and do not let guilt for the blood of the innocent remain among your people Israel” (vs. 8). They did not need to say, “And they will be absolved of bloodguilt” (ibid), rather the Holy Spirit announces to them, “When you act in this way, the blood is forgiven you.”
(7) If the murderer was discovered before the heifer’s neck was broken, it goes free and grazes with the herd; But if after the heifer’s neck was broken, it is buried in that place because it came there from the outset in connection with a matter of doubt, and atoned for the doubt which is now gone. If the heifer’s neck was broken and afterwards the murderer is discovered, behold he is executed.
(8) One witness says “I saw the murderer” and one witness says “You did not see him”; or a woman says “I saw him” and another woman says “You did not see him”, they break its neck. If one witness says “I saw him” and two say “You did not see him”, they break its neck. If two say “We saw him” and one says to them “You did not see him”, they do not break its neck.