1 A nd Jehovah spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

The Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho,

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

“Tell the people of Israel to give the Levites cities to live in from the land they receive. And give the Levites fields around the cities.

3 A nd the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their suburbs shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.

The cities will be theirs to live in. Their fields will be for their cattle and flocks and for all their animals.

4 A nd the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

The fields you give the Levites should be around the cities, from the city walls out 500 long steps.

5 A nd ye shall measure without 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 midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

And you should number 1, 000 long steps from the city on the east side, on the south side, on the west side, and on the north side, with the city in the center. These fields around the cities will belong to them for their animals.

6 A nd the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee unto: and besides them ye shall give forty and two cities.

The cities you give the Levites will be the six cities where people can go to be safe. They will be where a man may run to if he has killed another person. And give them forty-two other cities, added to these.

7 A ll the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities; them shall ye give with their suburbs.

Give forty-eight cities in all to the Levites, together with their fields.

8 A nd concerning the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many ye shall take many; and from the few ye shall take few: every one according to his inheritance which he inheriteth shall give of his cities unto the Levites.

Take more cities from the larger families of Israel to give to the Levites. And take less cities from the smaller families. Each should give some of its cities to the Levites by how much land is received.” The Cities to Be a Safe Place

9 A nd Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

10 S peak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

“Say to the people of Israel, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 t hen ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

choose which cities are to be the ones where you can run to be safe. The man who has killed a person without meaning to may run there.

12 A nd the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment.

The cities will be a safe place for you from the one who wants to punish you. So the one who has killed a person may not die until the people decide if he is guilty or not.

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

The cities you give will be your six cities where you can go to be safe.

14 Y e shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.

Give three cities on the east side of the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan. They will be the cities where you can go to be safe.

15 F or the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that every one that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

These six cities will be safe places for the people of Israel and for the stranger and for the one who visits them. Anyone who kills a person without meaning to may run there.

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

‘But if he killed him with an iron object, then he is guilty. For sure the killer will be put to death.

17 A nd if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

If he knocked him down with a stone so that he died, he is guilty. For sure the killer will be put to death.

18 O r if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Or if he hit him with a piece of wood in his hand so that he died, he is guilty. For sure the killer will be put to death.

19 T he avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.

The man who wants to punish him for the killing will put the killer to death. He will put him to death when he meets him.

20 A nd if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died,

If the killer has pushed him because he hated him, or has thrown something at him after waiting for him, and because of this he died,

21 o r in enmity smote him 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 put the murderer to death, when he meeteth him.

or if he hit him down with his hand because he hated him and killed him, for sure the one who killed him must be put to death. He is guilty. The man who wants to punish him for the killing will put him to death when he meets him.

22 B ut if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him anything without lying in wait,

‘But if he pushed him without planning to and without hating him, or threw something at him without having waited for him,

23 o r with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;

or he threw a stone without seeing him, killing him without hating him or meaning to hurt him,

24 t hen the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

then the people will decide by these Laws between the killer and the one who wants to punish him.

25 a nd the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

The people will save the killer from the man who wants to punish him. And they will return him to his city where he had gone to be safe. He will live in it until the death of the head religious leader who was set apart with the holy oil.

26 B ut if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth,

But if the man who killed another person at sometime goes outside his city where he went to be safe,

27 a nd the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood,

then the man who wants to punish him will not be guilty of blood if he finds him outside the safe city and kills him.

28 b ecause 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 into the land of his possession.

Because the man should have stayed in his city to be safe until the death of the head religious leader. But after the head religious leader dies, the man who killed another person may return to his own land.

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

‘These things will be a Law to you and to all your children-to-come in all your homes.

30 W hoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.

If anyone kills a person, the killer must be put to death by what is told by those who saw the killing. But no person may be put to death because of what one person says.

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

You must not take pay to save the life of a killer who is guilty of death. But he must be put to death.

32 A nd ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

You must not take pay for him who has run to his city to be safe, so that he may return to live in the land before the death of the religious leader.

33 S o ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

You must not make the land where you live unclean. The land is not holy when people are killed. And only the blood of him who is guilty can pay to make the land free from the blood that has fallen on it.

34 A nd thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell: for I, Jehovah, dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.

Do not make the land where you live unclean, in the place where I live. For I the Lord am living among the people of Israel.’”