Numbers 35

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

And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

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

Command the children of Israel, that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also to the Levites common lands for the cities around them.

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.

And they shall have the cities to dwell in; and the common lands of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

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

And the common lands of the cities, which ye shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits on all sides.

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.

And ye shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the common lands of the cities.

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.

And among the cities which ye shall give to the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee there: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

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

So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their common lands.

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 the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities to the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

9 Then the LORD said to Moses,

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When ye have passed over 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.

Then ye shall appoint for you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee there, who killeth any person unintentionally.

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 they shall be to you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer may not die, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

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

And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

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

Ye shall give three cities on this side of Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

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.

These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unintentionally may flee there.

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.

And if he shall smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he shall die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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.

And if he shall smite him by throwing a stone, by which he may die, and he shall die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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.

Or if he shall smite him with an hand weapon of wood, by which he may die, and he shall die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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

The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

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

But if he shall thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying in wait, that he die;

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 in enmity shall smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

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

But if he shall thrust him suddenly without enmity, or shall have cast upon him any thing without laying in wait,

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 with any stone, by which a man may die, seeing him not, and shall cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

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

Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments:

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.

And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, where he had fled: and he shall abide in it to the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

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

But if the slayer shall at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge, where he had fled;

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 the avenger of blood find him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood shall kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

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.

Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

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

So these things shall be for a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

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.

Whoever killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

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.

Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

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.

And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that hath fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

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.

So ye shall not pollute the land in which ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him that shed it.

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

Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, in which I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.