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

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at 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 to give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in. You shall give suburbs for the cities around them to the Levites.

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.

They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their suburbs shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.

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.

“The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.

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.

You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the suburbs of their 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.

“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-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.

All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together 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.

Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many; and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”

9 A nd the Lord said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the 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 you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

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.

The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

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

The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of 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.

You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They 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.

For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the foreigner living among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

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.

“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, 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.

If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, 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 struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, 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 avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death.

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

If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died,

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 hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meets 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 shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in 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, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him, so that he died, and he 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 striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

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.

The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who 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 man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees,

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 avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man 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 his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the man 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.

“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to 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.

“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he 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 you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be 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.

“‘You shall take no ransom for him who is fled to his city of refuge, that he may 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 you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who 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.

You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, in the middle of which I dwell; for I, Yahweh, dwell in the middle of the children of Israel.’”