Liber Numeri 35
1 Haec quoque locutus est Dominus ad Moysen in campestribus Moab supra Iordanem, contra Iericho:
And the Lord also spoke these things to Moses in the plains of Moab, above the Jordan, opposite Jericho:
2 Praecipe filiis Israel ut dent Levitis de possessionibus suis
“Instruct the sons of Israel, so that they may give to the Levites, from their possessions,
3 urbes ad habitandum, et suburbana earum per circuitum: ut ipsi in oppidis maneant, et suburbana sint pecoribus ac iumentis:
cities as dwelling places, with their surrounding suburbs, so that they may lodge in the towns, and so that the suburbs may be for cattle and beasts of burden.
4 quae a muris civitatum forinsecus, per circuitum, mille passuum spatio tendentur.
The suburbs shall extend from the outer walls of the cities, all around, for the space of one thousand steps.
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 aequali termino finietur. eruntque urbes in medio, et foris suburbana.
Facing the east, there shall be two thousand cubits, and facing the south, similarly, there shall be two thousand cubits. Toward the sea, also, which looks out toward the west, there shall be the same measure, and the northern region shall be bounded by equal limits. And the cities shall be in the center, and the suburbs shall be outside.
6 De ipsis autem oppidis, quae Levitis dabitis, sex erunt in fugitivorum auxilia separata, ut fugiat ad ea qui fuderit sanguinem: et exceptis his, alia quadraginta duo oppida,
Now, from the towns which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for the assistance of fugitives, so that he who has shed blood may flee to them. And, aside from these, there shall be forty-two other towns,
7 id est, simul quadraginta octo cum suburbanis suis.
that is, all together forty-eight with their suburbs.
8 Ipsaeque urbes, quae dabuntur de possessionibus filiorum Israel, ab his, qui plus habent, plures auferentur: et qui minus, pauciores. singuli iuxta mensuram hereditatis suae dabunt oppida Levitis.
And concerning these cities, which shall be given from the possessions of the sons of Israel: from those who have more, more shall be taken, and from those who have less, less shall be taken. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the measure of their inheritance.”
9 Ait Dominus ad Moysen:
The Lord said to Moses:
10 Loquere filiis Israel, et dices ad eos: Quando transgressi fueritis Iordanem in Terram Chanaan,
“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When you will have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 decernite quae urbes esse debeant in praesidia fugitivorum, qui nolentes sanguinem fuderint:
discern which cities ought to be for the protection of fugitives who have shed blood unwillingly.
12 in quibus cum fuerit profugus, cognatus occisi non poterit eum occidere, donec stet in conspectu multitudinis, et causa illius iudicetur.
And when a fugitive is in these, the kinsman of the deceased shall not be able to kill him, until he stands in the sight of the multitude and his case is judged.
13 De ipsis autem urbibus, quae ad fugitivorum subsidia separantur,
Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,
14 tres erunt trans Iordanem, et tres in Terra Chanaan,
three shall be across the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan,
15 tam filiis Israel quam advenis atque peregrinis, ut confugiat ad eas qui nolens sanguinem fuderit.
as much for the sons of Israel as for newcomers and sojourners, so that anyone who has shed blood unwillingly may flee to these places.
16 Si quis ferro percusserit, et mortuus fuerit qui percussus est: reus erit homicidii, et ipse morietur.
If anyone will have struck someone with iron, and he who was struck will have died, then he shall be guilty of homicide, and he himself shall die.
17 Si lapidem iecerit, et ictus occubuerit: similiter punietur.
If he will have thrown a stone, and he who has been struck lies dead, then he shall be punished similarly.
18 Si ligno percussus interierit: percussoris sanguine vindicabitur.
If he who has been struck with wood passes away, he shall be avenged by the blood of the one who struck him.
19 Propinquus occisi, homicidam interficiet, statim ut apprehenderit eum.
The close relative of the deceased shall put to death the murderer; as soon as he apprehends him, he shall put him to death.
20 Si per odium quis hominem impulerit, vel iecerit quippiam in eum per insidias:
If, out of hatred, anyone assaults a man, or throws anything at him with ill intent,
21 aut cum esset inimicus, manu percusserit, et ille mortuus fuerit: percussor, homicidii reus erit. cognatus occisi statim ut invenerit eum, iugulabit.
or, while being his enemy, strikes him with his hand, and so he has died, the attacker shall be guilty of murder. The kinsman of the deceased, as soon as he finds him, shall cut his throat.
22 Quod si fortuitu, et absque odio,
But if by chance, and without hatred
23 et inimicitiis quidquam horum fecerit,
or animosity, he will have done any of these things,
24 et hoc audiente populo fuerit comprobatum, atque inter percussorem et propinquum sanguinis quaestio ventilata:
and this has been proven in the hearing of the people, and the questions have been aired, between the one who struck and the close relative,
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.
then the innocent one shall be freed from the hand of the revenger, and he shall be returned by this judgment into the city to which he had fled, and he shall stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with the holy oil, dies.
26 Si interfector extra fines urbium, quae exulibus deputatae sunt,
If the one who has killed has been found beyond the limits of the cities which have been assigned to the exiled,
27 fuerit inventus, et percussus ab eo qui ultor est sanguinis: absque noxa erit qui eum occiderit.
and he has been struck by him who is avenging blood, he who killed him shall not be harmed.
28 debuerat enim profugus usque ad mortem Pontificis in urbe residere. postquam autem ille obierit, homicida revertetur in terram suam.
For the fugitive ought to have resided in the city, until the death of the high priest. Then, after he is dead, the one who has killed shall be returned to his own land.
29 Haec sempiterna erunt, et legitima in cunctis habitationibus vestris.
These things shall be a perpetual ordinance in all your habitations.
30 Homicida sub testibus punietur: ad unius testimonium nullus condemnabitur.
The punishment of a murderer shall be based upon testimony; but no one shall be condemned upon the testimony of only one person.
31 Non accipietis pretium ab eo, qui reus est sanguinis, statim et ipse morietur.
You shall not accept money from him who is guilty of blood, and he shall be put to death promptly.
32 Exules et profugi ante mortem Pontificis nullo modo in urbes suas reverti poterunt:
Exiles and fugitives, prior to the death of the high priest, are by no means able to be returned to their own cities.
33 ne polluatis terram habitationis vestrae, quae insontium cruore maculatur: nec aliter expiari potest, nisi per eius sanguinem, qui alterius sanguinem fuderit.
Do not pollute the land of your habitation, so as to stain it with the blood of the innocent; neither is it able to be expiated in any way other than by the blood of him who has shed the blood of another.
34 Atque ita emundabitur vestra possessio, me commorante vobiscum. ego enim sum Dominus qui habito inter filios Israel.
And so shall your possession be cleansed, while I myself am abiding with you. For I am the Lord, who lives among the sons of Israel.”
