Numbers 35

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying:

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

2 'Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and open land round about the cities shall ye give unto the Levites.

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

3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their open land shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.

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

4 And the open land about the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

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

5 And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the open land about the cities.

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.

6 And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee thither; and beside them ye shall give forty and two cities.

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.

7 All the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with the open land about them.

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

8 And concerning the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many ye shall take many, and from the few ye shall take few; each tribe according to its inheritance which it inheriteth shall give of its cities unto the Levites.'

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.”

9 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

Then the LORD said to Moses,

10 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

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

11 then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person through error may flee thither.

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

12 And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment.

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.

13 And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge.

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

14 Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.

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

15 For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither.

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.

16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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.

17 And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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.

18 Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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.

19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.

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

20 And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him any thing, lying in wait, so that he died;

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

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

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.

22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him any thing without lying in wait,

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

23 or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;

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

24 then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

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

25 and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled; and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

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.

26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth;

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

27 and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him;

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

28 because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return into the land of his possession.

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.

29 And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

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

30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.

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.

31 Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.

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

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

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.

33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

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.

34 And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.'

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