Numbers 35

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

2 “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 will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.

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

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

8 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 Then the LORD said to Moses,

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

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

12 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 you select will be your six cities of refuge.

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

15 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, 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 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 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 is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.

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

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

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

25 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 ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled

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

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

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying,

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

3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

4 And the suburbs 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.

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; and the city [shall be] in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites [there shall be] six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

7 [So] all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites [shall be] forty and eight cities: them [shall ye give] with their suburbs.

8 And the cities which ye shall give [shall be] of the possession of the children of Israel: from [them that have] many ye shall give many; but from [them that have] few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

9 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

11 Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

14 Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, [which] shall be cities of refuge.

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

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

17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Or [if] he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

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

22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing [him] not, and cast [it] upon him, that he die, and [was] not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29 So these [things] shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person [to cause him] to die.

31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which [is] guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye [are]: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan against Jericho, saying:

2 Give unto the children of Israel, that they may give unto the Levites cities of their inheritance, where they may dwell;

3 And the suburbs round about the cities shall ye give unto the Levites also, that they may dwell in the cities, and have in the suburbs their cattle, and their goods, and all manner of beasts.

4 And the breadth of the suburbs, which they shall give unto the Levites, shall be a thousand cubits round about, beside the wall of the city.

5 And ye shall measure the outward part of the city from the east corner two thousand cubits, and from the south corner two thousand cubits, and from the west corner two thousand cubits, and from the north corner two thousand cubits: and the city shall be in the middle. These are the suburbs thereof.

6 And of the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, ye shall give six cities of refuge; and whosoever hath committed manslaughter shall go in there. And over them ye shall give forty and two cities,

7 And all the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites shall be forty and eight with their suburbs.

8 And ye shall give the more of them that have much among the children of Israel, and the less of them that have little: every man according to his inheritance that is allotted unto him shall give cities unto the Levites.

9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying:

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are come over Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 Choose ye cities, that they may be cities of refuge: let him flee thither that committeth unawares manslaughter.

12 And there shall be among you such cities of refuge from the avenger of blood, that he that hath committed manslaughter shall not die, until he be tried before the congregation.

13 And of the cities which ye shall give shall be six free cities.

14 Three shall ye give on this side Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan.

15 These are the six cities of refuge, both of the children of Israel, and of the strangers, and of the householders that are among you; that whosoever hath committed manslaughter may flee thither unawares.

16 Whosoever shall smite any man with an iron, that he die, he is a manslayer, and shall surely be put to death.

17 If he cast a stone at him, that any man might be killed, and die of it, he is a manslayer, and shall surely be put to death.

18 But if he smite him with a wood, that he may smite a man to death, he is a manslayer, and shall surely be put to death.

19 The avenger of blood shall put to death the manslayer: as he hath smitten, so shall he be put to death again.

20 If he cast him out of hatred, or cast any thing upon him by guile, that he die,

21 Or if he smite him with his hand through enmity, that he die: he that smote him shall surely die: for he is a manslayer: the avenger of blood shall put him to death.

22 But if he thrust him about without enmity, or cast any thing upon him unawares,

23 Or any stone, whereof a man may die, and hath not seen it, cast upon him, that he die; and he is not his enemy, neither hath he willed him any evil:

24 Then shall the congregation judge between him that smote, and the avenger of blood in this judgment.

25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and shall restore him to the city of refuge whither he fled, and there shall he dwell, until the high priest die, whom he hath anointed with the holy oil.

26 And the manslayer shall go forth out of his city of refuge, whither he is fled,

27 And if the avenger of blood find him out of the bounds of his free city, and smite him dead, he shall not be guilty of blood.

28 For he was to remain in his free city until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest to come again to the land of his inheritance.

29 And it shall be a statute unto you in your generations, whither ye dwell.

30 The manslayer shall be put to death after the mouth of two witnesses. A witness shall not answer a soul to death.

31 And ye shall take no reconciliation upon the soul of the manslayer: for he is guilty of death, and he shall surely die.

32 And ye shall not make reconciliation for him that is fled to the city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land, until the priest die.

33 And profane not the land wherein ye dwell. For he that is guilty of blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be reconciled by the blood that is shed therein, except by the blood of him that shed it.

34 Defile not the land wherein ye dwell, wherein I also dwell: for I am the LORD that dwelleth among the children of Israel.