Numbers 35

1 The LORD spoke to 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 to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and you shall give suburbs for the cities around them to 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 The cities shall they have to dwell in; and their suburbs shall be for their livestock, and for their substance, and for all their animals.

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 "The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand seven hundred twenty-two feet six inches around it.

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

5 You shall measure outside of the city for the east side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, and for the south side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, and for the west side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, and for the north side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of 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 "The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to: and besides them you shall give forty-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 you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their suburbs.

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

8 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 of his cities to 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 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you 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 you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

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

12 The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer not die, until he stands 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 The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

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

14 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.

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 foreigner living among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

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 struck 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 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.

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 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.

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 meets 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 If he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, 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 struck him with his hand, so that he died; he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer, the murderer must surely be put to death; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets 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 on him anything 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, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on 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 striker 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, where he was fled: and he shall dwell in it 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, where he flees,

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 outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kill the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood,

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 should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall 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 "'These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to 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 "'Whoever kills 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 you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who 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 "'You shall take no ransom for him who is fled to his city of refuge, that he may 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 you shall not pollute the land in which you are: for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who 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 You shall not defile the land which you 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.”