Numbers 35

1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the plaine of Moab by Iorden, toward Iericho, saying,

And the Lord spoke these things also to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, over against Jericho:

2 Commande ye children of Israel, that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritace of their possession, cities to dwell in: yee shall giue also vnto the Leuites the suburbes of the cities round about them.

Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites out of their possessions,

3 So they shall haue the cities to dwell in, and their suburbes shall be for their cattell, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.

Cities to dwell in, and their suburbs round about: that they may abide in the towns, and the suburbs may be for their cattle and beasts:

4 And the suburbes of the cities, which ye shall giue vnto the Leuites, from the wall of the citie outward, shalbe a thousand cubites round about.

Which suburbs shall reach from the walls of the cities outward, a thousand paces on every side:

5 And yee shall measure without the citie of the Eastside, two thousand cubites: and of the Southside, two thousand cubites: and of the Westside, two thousand cubites: and of ye Northside, two thousand cubites: and the citie shalbe in ye middes. this shalbe the measure of the suburbes of their cities.

Toward the east shall be two thousand cubits: and toward the south in like manner shall be two thousand cubits: toward the sea also, which looketh to the west, shall be the same extent: and the north side shall be bounded with the like limits. And the cities shall be in the midst, and the suburbs without.

6 And of the cities which yee shall giue vnto the Leuites, there shalbe sixe cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint, that he which killeth, may flee thither: and to them yee shall adde two and fourtie cities more.

And among the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for refuge to fugitives, that he who hath shed blood may flee to them: and besides these there shall be other forty-two cities,

7 All the cities which yee shall giue to the Leuites, shalbe eight and fourtie cities: them shall ye giue with their suburbes.

That is, in all forty-eight with their suburbs.

8 And concerning the cities which yee shall giue, of the possession of the children of Israel: of many ye shall take more, and of few ye shall take lesse: euery one shall giue of his cities vnto the Leuites, according to his inheritance, which hee inheriteth.

And of these cities which shall be given out of the possessions of the children of Israel, from them that have more, more shall be taken: and from them that have less, fewer. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the extent of their inheritance.

9 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses:

10 Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, When ye be come ouer Iorden into the land of Canaan,

Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When you shall have passed over the Jordan into the land of Chanaan,

11 Ye shall appoint you cities, to bee cities of refuge for you, that the slayer, which slayeth any person vnwares, may flee thither.

Determine what cities shall be for the refuge of fugitives, who have shed blood against their will.

12 And these cities shalbe for you a refuge from the auenger, that he which killeth, die not, vntill he stand before the Congregation in iudgement.

And when the fugitive shall be in them, the kinsman of him that is slain may not have power to kill him, until he stand before the multitude, and his cause be judged.

13 And of the cities which ye shall giue, sixe cities shall ye haue for refuge.

And of those cities, that are separated for the refuge of fugitives,

14 Ye shall appoint three on this side Iorden, and ye shall appoint three cities in the lande of Canaan which shalbe cities of refuge.

Three shall be beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Chanaan,

15 These six cities shalbe a refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that dwelleth among you, that euery one which killeth any person vnwares, may flee thither.

As well for the children of Israel as for strangers and sojourners, that he may flee to them, who hath shed blood against his will.

16 And if one smite another with an instrument of yron that hee die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death.

If any man strike with iron, and he die that was struck: he shall be guilty of murder, and he himself shall die.

17 Also if hee smite him by casting a stone, wherewith hee may be slaine, and he die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death.

If he throw a stone, and he that is struck die: he shall be punished in the same manner.

18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may be slaine, if he die, he is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death.

If he that is struck with wood die: he shall be revenged by the blood of him that struck him.

19 The reuenger of the blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

The kinsman of him that was slain, shall kill the murderer: as soon as he apprehendeth him, he shall kill him.

20 But if hee thrust him of hate, or hurle at him by laying of wait, that he die,

If through hatred any one push a man, or fling any thing at him with ill design:

21 Or smite him through enimitie with his hand, that he die, he that smote him shall die ye death: for hee is a murtherer: the reuenger of the blood shall slay the murtherer when he meeteth him.

Or being his enemy, strike; him with his hand, and he die: the striker shall be guilty of murder: the kinsman of him that was slain as soon as he findeth him, shall kill him.

22 But if he pusshed him vnaduisedly, and not of hatred, or cast vpon him any thing, without laying of waite,

But if by chance medley, and without hatred,

23 Or any stone (whereby he might be slaine) and sawe him not, or caused it to fall vpon him, and he die, and was not his enemie, neither sought him any harme,

And enmity, he do any of these things,

24 Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood according to these lawes.

And this be proved in the hearing of the people, and the cause be debated between him that struck, and the next of kin:

25 And the Congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hande of the auenger of blood, and the Congregation shall restore him vnto the citie of his refuge, whither hee was fled: and hee shall abide there vnto the death of the hie Priest, which is anointed with the holy oyle.

The innocent shall be delivered from the hand of the revenger, and shall be brought back by sentence into the city, to which he had fled, and he shall abide there until the death of the high priest, that is anointed with the holy oil.

26 But if the slayer come without the borders of the citie of his refuge, whither he was fled,

If the murderer be found without the limits of the cities that are appointed for the banished,

27 And the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the citie of his refuge, and the reueger of blood slay ye murtherer, he shalbe giltles,

And be struck by him that is the avenger of blood: he shall not be guilty that killed him.

28 Because he should haue remained in the citie of his refuge, vntill the death of the hie Priest: and after the death of the hie Priest, the slayer shall returne vnto the land of his possession.

For the fugitive ought to have stayed in the city until the death of the high priest: and after he is dead, then shall the manslayer return to his own country.

29 So these thinges shall be a lawe of iudgement vnto you, throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

These things shall be perpetual, and for an ordinance in all your dwellings.

30 Whosoeuer killeth any person, the Iudge shall slay the murtherer, through witnesses: but one witnesse shall not testifie against a person to cause him to die.

The murderer shall be punished by witnesses: none shall be condemned upon the evidence of one man.

31 Moreouer ye shall take no recompense for the life of the murtherer, which is worthy to die: but he shalbe put to death.

You shall not take money of him that is guilty of blood, but he shall die forthwith.

32 Also ye shall take no recompense for him that is fled to the citie of his refuge, that he should come againe, and dwell in the lande, before the death of the hie Priest.

The banished and fugitives before the death of the high priest may by no means return into their own cities.

33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye shall dwell: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be clensed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

Defile not the land of your habitation, which is stained with the blood of the innocent: neither can it otherwise be expiated, but by his blood that hath shed the blood of another.

34 Defile not therefore the lande which yee shall inhabite, For I dwell in the middes thereof: for I the Lord dwel among the children of Israel.

And thus shall your possession he cleansed, myself abiding with you. For I am the Lord that dwell among the children of Israel.