Numbers 35

1 Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:

And the Lord also spoke these things to Moses in the plains of Moab, above the Jordan, opposite Jericho:

2 “Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.

“Instruct the sons of Israel, so that they may give to the Levites, from their possessions,

3 The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.

cities as dwelling places, with their surrounding suburbs, so that they may lodge in the towns, and so that the suburbs may be for cattle and beasts of burden.

4 The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side.

The suburbs shall extend from the outer walls of the cities, all around, for the space of one thousand steps.

5 You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities.

Facing the east, there shall be two thousand cubits, and facing the south, similarly, there shall be two thousand cubits. Toward the sea, also, which looks out toward the west, there shall be the same measure, and the northern region shall be bounded by equal limits. And the cities shall be in the center, and the suburbs shall be outside.

6 Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.

Now, from the towns which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for the assistance of fugitives, so that he who has shed blood may flee to them. And, aside from these, there shall be forty-two other towns,

7 The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands.

that is, all together forty-eight with their suburbs.

8 The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.”

And concerning these cities, which shall be given from the possessions of the sons of Israel: from those who have more, more shall be taken, and from those who have less, less shall be taken. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the measure of their inheritance.”

9 Then the LORD said to Moses,

The Lord said to Moses:

10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When you will have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

discern which cities ought to be for the protection of fugitives who have shed blood unwillingly.

12 You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

And when a fugitive is in these, the kinsman of the deceased shall not be able to kill him, until he stands in the sight of the multitude and his case is judged.

13 The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,

14 Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.

three shall be across the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan,

15 These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

as much for the sons of Israel as for newcomers and sojourners, so that anyone who has shed blood unwillingly may flee to these places.

16 If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

If anyone will have struck someone with iron, and he who was struck will have died, then he shall be guilty of homicide, and he himself shall die.

17 Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

If he will have thrown a stone, and he who has been struck lies dead, then he shall be punished similarly.

18 If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

If he who has been struck with wood passes away, he shall be avenged by the blood of the one who struck him.

19 The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.

The close relative of the deceased shall put to death the murderer; as soon as he apprehends him, he shall put him to death.

20 Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him,

If, out of hatred, anyone assaults a man, or throws anything at him with ill intent,

21 or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.

or, while being his enemy, strikes him with his hand, and so he has died, the attacker shall be guilty of murder. The kinsman of the deceased, as soon as he finds him, shall cut his throat.

22 But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,

But if by chance, and without hatred

23 or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,

or animosity, he will have done any of these things,

24 then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

and this has been proven in the hearing of the people, and the questions have been aired, between the one who struck and the close relative,

25 The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

then the innocent one shall be freed from the hand of the revenger, and he shall be returned by this judgment into the city to which he had fled, and he shall stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with the holy oil, dies.

26 But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled

If the one who has killed has been found beyond the limits of the cities which have been assigned to the exiled,

27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed

and he has been struck by him who is avenging blood, he who killed him shall not be harmed.

28 because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns.

For the fugitive ought to have resided in the city, until the death of the high priest. Then, after he is dead, the one who has killed shall be returned to his own land.

29 This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live.

These things shall be a perpetual ordinance in all your habitations.

30 If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.

The punishment of a murderer shall be based upon testimony; but no one shall be condemned upon the testimony of only one person.

31 You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.

You shall not accept money from him who is guilty of blood, and he shall be put to death promptly.

32 Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.

Exiles and fugitives, prior to the death of the high priest, are by no means able to be returned to their own cities.

33 Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.

Do not pollute the land of your habitation, so as to stain it with the blood of the innocent; neither is it able to be expiated in any way other than by the blood of him who has shed the blood of another.

34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”

And so shall your possession be cleansed, while I myself am abiding with you. For I am the Lord, who lives among the sons of Israel.”