Liber Numeri 35

1 Hæc quoque locutus est Dominus ad Moysen in campestribus Moab supra Iordanem, contra Iericho:

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

2 Præcipe filiis Israel ut dent Levitis de possessionibus suis

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.

3 urbes ad habitandum, et suburbana earum per circuitum: ut ipsi in oppidis maneant, et suburbana sint pecoribus ac iumentis:

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.

4 quæ a muris civitatum forinsecus, per circuitum, mille passuum spatio tendentur.

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.

5 contra Orientem duo millia erunt cubiti, et contra Meridiem similiter erunt duo millia: ad mare quoque, quod respicit ad Occidentem, eadem mensura erit, et septentrionalis plaga æquali termino finietur. eruntque urbes in medio, et foris suburbana.

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.

6 De ipsis autem oppidis, quæ Levitis dabitis, sex erunt in fugitivorum auxilia separata, ut fugiat ad ea qui fuderit sanguinem: et exceptis his, alia quadraginta duo oppida,

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.

7 id est, simul quadraginta octo cum suburbanis suis.

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

8 Ipsæque urbes, quæ dabuntur de possessionibus filiorum Israel, ab his, qui plus habent, plures auferentur: et qui minus, pauciores. singuli iuxta mensuram hereditatis suæ dabunt oppida Levitis.

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.

9 Ait Dominus ad Moysen:

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

10 Loquere filiis Israel, et dices ad eos: Quando transgressi fueritis Iordanem in Terram Chanaan,

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

11 decernite quæ urbes esse debeant in præsidia fugitivorum, qui nolentes sanguinem fuderint:

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

12 in quibus cum fuerit profugus, cognatus occisi non poterit eum occidere, donec stet in conspectu multitudinis, et causa illius iudicetur.

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.

13 De ipsis autem urbibus, quæ ad fugitivorum subsidia separantur,

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

14 tres erunt trans Iordanem, et tres in Terra Chanaan,

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

15 tam filiis Israel quam advenis atque peregrinis, ut confugiat ad eas qui nolens sanguinem fuderit.

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.

16 Si quis ferro percusserit, et mortuus fuerit qui percussus est: reus erit homicidii, et ipse morietur.

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

17 Si lapidem iecerit, et ictus occubuerit: similiter punietur.

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.

18 Si ligno percussus interierit: percussoris sanguine vindicabitur.

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.

19 Propinquus occisi, homicidam interficiet, statim ut apprehenderit eum, interficiet.

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

20 Si per odium quis hominem impulerit, vel iecerit quippiam in eum per insidias:

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

21 aut cum esset inimicus, manu percusserit, et ille mortuus fuerit: percussor, homicidii reus erit. cognatus occisi statim ut invenerit eum, iugulabit.

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.

22 Quod si fortuitu, et absque odio,

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

23 et inimicitiis quidquam horum fecerit,

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,

24 et hoc audiente populo fuerit comprobatum, atque inter percussorem et propinquum sanguinis quæstio ventilata:

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

25 liberabitur innocens de ultoris manu, et reducetur per sententiam in urbem, ad quam confugerat, manebitque ibi, donec sacerdos magnus, qui oleo sancto unctus est, moriatur.

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.

26 Si interfector extra fines urbium, quæ exulibus deputatæ sunt,

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

27 fuerit inventus, et percussus ab eo qui ultor est sanguinis: absque noxa erit qui eum occiderit.

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,

28 debuerat enim profugus usque ad mortem Pontificis in urbe residere. postquam autem ille obierit, homicida revertetur in terram suam.

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.

29 Hæc sempiterna erunt, et legitima in cunctis habitationibus vestris.

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

30 Homicida sub testibus punietur: ad unius testimonium nullus condemnabitur.

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.

31 Non accipietis pretium ab eo, qui reus est sanguinis, statim et ipse morietur.

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

32 Exules et profugi ante mortem Pontificis nullo modo in urbes suas reverti poterunt:

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.

33 ne polluatis terram habitationis vestræ, quæ insontium cruore maculatur: nec aliter expiari potest, nisi per eius sanguinem, qui alterius sanguinem fuderit.

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.

34 Atque ita emundabitur vestra possessio, me commorante vobiscum. ego enim sum Dominus qui habito inter filios Israel.

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.