aNow the LORD spoke
to Moses
in the plains
of Moab
by the Jordan
opposite Jericho
, saying
,
"Command the sons
of Israel
that they give
to the Levites
from the inheritance
of their possession
cities
to live
in; and you shall give
to the Levites
pasture
lands
around
the cities
.
"The cities shall be theirs
to live
in; and their pasture
lands
shall be for their cattle
and for their herds
and for all
their beasts
.
"The pasture lands
of the cities
which
you shall give
to the Levites
shall extend from the wall
of the city
1outward
a thousand
cubits
around
.
"You shall also measure outside
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
, with the city
in the center
. This
shall become
theirs
as pasture
lands
for the cities
.
"The cities which
you shall give
to the Levites
shall be the asix
cities
of refuge
, which
you shall give
for the manslayer
to flee
to; and in addition
to them you shall give
forty-two
cities
.
"All the cities
which
you shall give
to the Levites
shall be aforty-eight
cities
, 1together with their pasture
lands
.
" aAs for the cities which
you shall give
from the possession
of the sons
of Israel
, you shall take
more
from the larger
and you shall take
less
from the smaller
; each
shall give
some
of his cities
to the Levites
in proportion
to his possession
which
he inherits
."
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
" aSpeak to the sons
of Israel
and say
to them, `When
you cross
the Jordan
into the land
of Canaan
,
athen you shall select for yourselves cities
to be your bcities
of refuge
, that the manslayer
who has 1killed
any person
cunintentionally
may flee
there
.
` aThe cities shall be to you as a refuge
from the avenger
, so that the manslayer
will not die
until
he stands
before
the congregation
for 1trial
.
`The cities which
you are to give
shall be your six
cities
of refuge
.
`You ashall give three
cities
across
the Jordan
and three
cities
1in the land
of Canaan
; they are to be cities
of refuge
.
`These six
cities
shall be for refuge
for the sons
of Israel
, and for the alien
and for the sojourner
among
them; that anyone
who 1kills
a person
aunintentionally
may flee
there
.
` aBut if he struck
him down
with an iron
object
, so that he died
, he is a murderer
; the murderer
shall surely
be put
to death
.
`If he struck
him down
with a stone
in the hand
, by which
he will die
, and as a result he died
, he is a murderer
; the murderer
ashall surely
be put
to death
.
`Or if he struck
him with a wooden
object
in the hand
, by which
he might die
, and as a result he died
, he is a murderer
; the murderer
shall surely
be put
to death
.
`The blood avenger
himself
shall put
the murderer
to death
; he shall put
him to death
when he meets
him.
` aIf he pushed
him of hatred
, or
threw
something at him blying
in wait
and as a result he died
,
or if he struck
him down
with his hand
in enmity
, and as a result he died
, the one who struck
him shall surely
be put
to death
, he is a murderer
; the blood
avenger
shall put
the murderer
to death
when he meets
him.
` aBut if he pushed
him suddenly
without
enmity
, or
threw
something
at him without
lying
in wait
,
or with any
1deadly
object of stone
, and without
seeing
it dropped
on him so that he died
, while he was not his enemy
nor
seeking
his injury
,
then athe congregation shall judge
between
the slayer
and the blood
avenger
according
to these
ordinances
.
`The congregation shall deliver
the manslayer
from the hand
of the blood
avenger
, and the congregation
shall restore
him to his city
of refuge
to which
he fled
; and he shall live
in it until
the death
of the high
priest
who
was anointed
with the holy
oil
.
`But if the manslayer
at any
time
goes
beyond
the border
of his city
of refuge
to which
he may flee
,
and the blood avenger
finds
him outside
the border
of his city
of refuge
, and the blood
avenger
kills
the manslayer
, he will not be guilty of blood
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
to the land
of his possession
.
`These things
shall be for a astatutory
ordinance
to you throughout your generations
in all
your dwellings
.
` aIf anyone kills
a person
, the murderer
shall be put
to death
at the 1evidence
of witnesses
, but bno
person
shall be put
to death
on the testimony
of one
witness
.
`Moreover, you shall not take ransom
for the life
of a murderer
who
is guilty
of death
, but he shall surely
be put
to death
.
`You shall not take ransom
for him who has fled
to his city
of refuge
, that he may return
to live
in the land
1before
the death
of the priest
.
` aSo you shall not pollute the land
in which
you are; for blood
pollutes
the land
and no
expiation
can be made
for the land
for the blood
that is shed
on it, except
bby the blood
of him who shed
it.
`You shall not adefile the land
in which
you live
, in the midst
of which
bI dwell
; for I the LORD
am dwelling
in the midst
of the sons
of Israel
.' "