Numbers 35

1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and an open space for the cities round about them shall ye give [also] unto the Levites.

“Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites.

3 And the cities shall serve them to dwell in; and their open spaces shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their requirements.

They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.

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

“The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.

5 And ye shall measure from without 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, with the city in the midst: this shall be to them the open spaces of the cities.

You shall measure outside of 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 middle. This shall be the pasture lands of their cities.

6 And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall appoint that the manslayer may flee thither; and in addition to them shall ye give forty and two cities.

“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities.

7 All the cities which ye shall [thus] give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities, they with their open spaces.

All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands.

8 And the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the tribe that hath many shall ye give many; but from the one that hath few shall ye give few: every one according to its inheritance which it may inherit shall give of its cities unto the Levites.

Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”

9 And the Lord spoke unto Moses. saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 Then ye shall appoint unto yourselves proper cities, that they be cities of refuge for you; and thither shall flee the manslayer who killeth any person at unawares.

then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

12 And these cities shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he have stood before the congregation for trial.

The cities shall be for your refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

13 And the cities which ye shall give, shall be six cities of refuge unto you;

The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

14 Three of these cities shall ye give on this side of the Jordan, and the three other cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan: cities of refuge shall they be.

You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge.

15 For the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, shall these six cities be for a refuge: that every one may flee thither that killeth any person at unawares.

These six cities shall be refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreigner living among them, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

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

“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 And if he have smitten him with a stone which one can take in the hand, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Or if he have smitten him with an article of wood, which one can take in the hand, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

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

The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death.

20 And if he push against him out of hatred, or he have hurled at him [any thing] by lying in wait, that he die;

If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died,

21 Or if in enmity he have smitten him with his hand, that he died, he that smote him shall surely be put to death; [for] he is a murderer: the avenger of the blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth with him.

or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 But if he have pushed against him accidentally without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without lying in wait,

“‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait,

23 Or with any stone wherewith a man may die, without seeing him, and he have let it fall upon him that he died; whereas he was not his enemy, and did not seek his harm:

or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him so that he died, and he was not his enemy and not seeking his harm,

24 Then shall the congregation judge between the slayer and the avenger of the blood according to these institutions;

then the congregation shall judge between the striker 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 the blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he had fled; and he shall abide in it until the death of the high-priest, who hath been anointed with the holy oil.

The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 But if the manslayer should at any time pass the boundary of the city of his refuge, whither he may have fled;

“‘But if the man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge where he flees,

27 And the avenger of the blood should find him beyond the boundary of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of the blood should kill the manslayer: he shall not be guilty of blood;

and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,

28 Because in the city of his refuge shall be remain until the death of the high-priest; but after the death of the high-priest the manslayer may return unto the land of his possession.

because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the man slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

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

“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 Whoever it be that killeth a person, according to the testimony of witnesses shall the murderer be put to death; but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies.

31 Moreover ye shall take no redemption money for the person of a murderer, who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.

“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He shall surely be put to death.

32 And ye shall take no redemption money 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.

“‘You shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

33 And ye shall not defile the land wherein ye are; for the blood it is which defileth the land: and no atonement can be made unto the land for the blood which hath been shed therein, except through the blood of him that hath shed it.

“‘So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.

34 And ye shall not render unclean 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.

You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell among the children of Israel.’”