1 A nd the Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho,

And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

2 C ommand the Israelites that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and pasturelands round about the cities’ walls you shall give to the Levites also.

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 T hey shall have the cities to dwell in and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle, for their wealth, and for all their beasts.

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 A nd the pasturelands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall reach from the wall of the city and outward 1, 000 cubits round about.

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 Y ou shall measure from the wall of the city outward on the east, south, west, and north sides 2, 000 cubits, the city being in the center. This shall belong to as pasturelands for their cities.

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 O f the cities which you shall give to the Levites there shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee into; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.

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 S o all the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; you shall give them with their adjacent pasturelands.

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 A s for the cities, you shall give from the possession of the Israelites, from the larger tribes you shall take many and from the smaller tribes few; each tribe shall give of its cities to the Levites in proportion to its inheritance.

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 A nd the Lord said to Moses,

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

10 S ay to the Israelites, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

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

11 T hen you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the slayer who kills any person unintentionally and unawares may flee there.

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 A nd the cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he has had a fair trial before the congregation.

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 A nd of the cities which you give there shall be your six cities for refuge.

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

14 Y ou shall give three cities on this side of the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.

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 T hese six cities shall be a refuge for the Israelites and for the stranger and the temporary resident among them; that anyone who kills any person unintentionally and unawares may flee there.

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 B ut if he struck him down with an instrument of iron so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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 A nd if he struck him down by throwing a stone, by which a person may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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 O r if he struck him down with a weapon of wood in his hand, by which one may die, and he died, the offender is a murderer; he shall surely be put to death.

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 T he avenger of blood shall himself slay the murderer; when he meets him, he shall slay him.

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

20 B ut if he stabbed him through hatred or hurled at him by lying in wait so that he died

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

21 O r in enmity struck him down with his hand so that he died, he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.

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 B ut if he stabbed him suddenly without enmity or threw anything at or upon him without lying in wait

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

23 O r with any stone with which a man may be killed, not seeing him, and threw it at him so that he died, and was not his enemy nor sought to harm him,

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 T hen the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

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

25 A nd the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood and restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled; and he shall live in it until the high priest dies, who was anointed with the sacred oil.

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 B ut if the slayer shall at any time come outside the limits of his city of refuge to which he had fled

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

27 A nd the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge and kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood

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 B ecause the manslayer should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the high priest’s death the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession.

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 A nd these things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

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

30 W hoever kills any person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

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 M oreover, you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.

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 A nd you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, so that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest.

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 S o you shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.

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 A nd you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.

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