Numbers 35

1 And the Lord spak these thingis to Moises, in the feeldi places of Moab, aboue Jordan,

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

2 ayens Jericho, Comaunde thou to the sones of Israel, that thei yyue to dekenes of her possessiouns,

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

3 citees to dwelle, and the suburbabis of tho bi cumpas, that thei dwelle in `the citees, and the suburbabis be to beestis, and `werk beestis;

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 whiche suburbabis schulen be strecchid forth fro the wallis of citees with outforth `bi cumpas, in the space of a thousynde paacis;

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

5 ayens the eest schulen be two thousynde cubitis, and ayens the south in lijk manere schulen be two thousynde cubitis, and at the see that biholdith to the west schal be the same mesure, and the north coost schal be endid bi euene terme. And the citees schulen be in the myddis, and the suburbabis with outforth.

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 Forsothe of tho citees whiche ye schulen yyue to dekenes, sixe schulen be departid in to helpis of fugityues, `ether of fleynge men, that he that schedde blood, fle to tho; and outakun these sixe, ye schulen yyue to dekenes othere two and fourti citees,

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 that is, togidere eiyte and fourti, with her surburbabis.

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

8 And tho citees that schulen be youun of the possessiouns of sones of Israel, schulen be takun awey, mo fro hem that han more, and fewere `schulen be takun awey fro hem that han lesse, alle bi hem silf schulen yyue bi the mesure of her eritage, citees to dekenes.

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 seide to Moises,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

10 Spek thou to the sones of Israel, and thou schalt seie to hem, Whanne ye han passid Jordan, in the lond of Canaan,

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

11 deme ye whiche citees owen to be in to the helpis of fugityues, whiche not wilfuli han sched blood.

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

12 In whiche whanne the fleere hath fled, the kynesman of hym that is slayn, schal not mow sle hym, til he stonde in the siyt of the multitude, and the cause of hym be demed.

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 Forsothe of tho citees that ben departid to the helpis of fugityues,

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

14 thre schulen be ouer Jordan, and thre in the lond of Canaan;

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

15 as wel to the sones of Israel as to comelyngis and pilgryms; that he fle to tho citees, that schedde blood not wilfuli.

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 If ony man smytith a man with yrun, and he that is smytun is deed, `the smyter schal be gilti of mansleyng, and he schal die.

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 castith a stoon, and a man is deed bi the strook, he schal be punyschid in lijk maner.

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 If a man smytun with a staf dieth, he schal be vengid bi `the blood of the smytere.

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 niy kynesman of hym that is slayn schal sle the mansleere; anoon as he takith hym, `that is, the manquellere, he schal sle hym.

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

20 If bi haterede a man hurtlith, `ethir schoufith, `a man, ethir castith ony thing in to hym bi aspiyngis,

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

21 ether whanne he was enemy, smoot with hond, and he is deed, the smytere schal be gilti of mansleyng. The kynesman `of him that is slayn, anoon as he findith him, `that is, the sleere, schal sle hym.

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 That if bi sudeyn caas, and without hatrede and enemytees,

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

23 he doith ony thing of these;

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

24 and this is preued in heryng `of the puple, and the questioun of blood is discussid bitwixe the smytere and the kynesman,

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

25 the innocent schal be delyuered fro the hond of the vengere, and bi sentence of iugis he schal be led ayen in to the citee, to which he fledde, and he schal dwelle there, til the grete preest die, which is anoyntid with oile.

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 If the sleere is foundun with out the coostis `of the citees that ben asigned to exilid men,

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

27 and is slayn of him that is vengere, he that sleeth him, `that is, the exilid man, schal be with out gilt;

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 for the exilid man ouyte sitte in the citee `til to the `deth of the bischop; forsothe aftir that thilke bischop is deed, the mansleere schal turne ayen in to his lond.

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 schulen be euerlastynge and lawful thingis in alle youre dwellyngis.

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

30 A mansleere schal be punyschid vndur witnessis; no man schal `be dampned at the witnessyng of o man.

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 Ye schulen not take prijs of him which is gilti of blood, anoon and he schal die.

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 Men exilid, and fugityues, schulen not mow turne ayen in ony maner in to her citees, bifore the deeth of the bischop, lest ye defoulen the lond of youre abitacioun,

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 which is defoulid bi the blood of innocent men; and it may not be clensid in other maner, no but bi the blood of hym, that schedde the blood of anothir man.

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 so youre possessioun schal be clensid, for Y schal dwelle with you; for Y am the Lord, that dwelle among the sones of Israel.

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