1 و َتَكَلَّمَ اللهُ إلَى مُوسَى فِي سُهُولِ مُوآبَ بِقُربِ نَهرِ الأُردُنِّ، فِي الجِهَةِ الشَّرقِيَّةِ مُقابِلَ أرِيحا فَقالَ:

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

2 « أوصِ بَني إسْرائِيلَ بِأنْ يُخَصِّصُوا لِلّاوِيِّينَ مُدُناً لِيَسكُنُوا فِيها مِنَ الأرْضِ الَّتِي أخَذُوها، وَمَراعِيَ حَولَ مُدُنِهِمْ.

“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 س َتَكُونُ هَذِهِ المُدُنُ لَهُمْ لِلسَّكَنِ، وَالمَراعِي لِماشِيَتِهِمْ وَجَمِيعِ الحَيواناتِ الَّتِي يَملِكُونَها.

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

4 س َتَمتَدُّ مَراعِي اللّاوِيِّينَ مِنْ سُورِ المَدِينَةِ مَسافَةَ ألْفِ ذِراعٍ مِنْ كُلِّ الجِهاتِ.

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

5 ق ِيسُوا خارِجَ المَدِينَةِ ألفِي ذِراعٍ مِنْ كُلِّ جِهَةٍ: ألفِي ذِراعٍ مِنَ الجِهَةِ الشَّرقِيَّةِ، وَألفِي ذِراعٍ مِنَ الجِهَةِ الجَنُوبِيَّةِ، ألفِي ذِراعٍ مِنَ الجِهَةِ الغَربِيَّةِ، وَألفِي ذِراعٍ مِنَ الجِهَةِ الشَّمالِيَّةِ. فَتَكُونُ المَدِينَةُ فِي الوَسَطِ، وَتَكُونُ هَذِهِ المساحاتُ الإضافِيّةُ مِراعِيَ لِمُدُنِ اللّاوِيِّينَ.

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 « وَمِنْ ضِمنِ المُدُنِ الَّتِي سَتُعطُونَها لِلّاوِيِّينَ، سَتَكُونُ هُناكَ سِتُّ مُدُنٍ لِلُّجُوءِ، يَهرُبَ إلَيها كُلُّ مَنْ يَقتُلُ شَخصاً آخَرَ بِغَيرِ قَصدٍ. وَبِالإضافَةِ إلَى هَذِهِ المُدُنِ السِّتِّ، أعطُوا اللّاوِيِّينَ اثنَتَيْنِ وَأربَعِينَ مَدِينَةً أُخْرَى.

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 ف َسَيَكُونُ مَجْمُوعُ المُدُنِ الَّتِي يأخُذُونَها ثَمانٍ وَأربَعِينَ مَدِينَةً مَعَ مَراعِيها.

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

8 خ ُذُوا لِلّاوِيِّينَ مِنْ أرْضِ قَبائِلِ بَني إسْرائِيلَ عَدَداً مِنَ المُدُنِ يَتَناسَبُ مَعَ حَجمِ كُلِّ قَبِيلَةٍ. فَتُعْطِي كُلَّ قَبِيلَةٍ مِنْ مُدُنِها لِلّاوِيِّينَ، بِحَسَبِ مَساحَةِ حِصَّتِها مِنَ الأرْضِ.» مُدُنُ اللُّجوء

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 و َقالَ اللهُ لِمُوسَى:

Then the Lord said to Moses,

10 « قُلْ لِبَني إسْرائِيلَ: حِينَ تَعبُرُونَ نَهرَ الأُردُنِّ إلَى أرْضِ كَنعانَ،

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

11 ا خْتارُوا مُدُناً لِتَكُونَ مُدُناً لِلُجُوءِ. فَمَنْ يَقتُلُ شَخْصاً بِغَيرِ قَصدٍ، يُمكِنُهُ الهُرُوبُ إلَى إحدَى هَذِهِ المُدُنِ.

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 ف َسَتَكُونُ مُدُناً يَلجأُ إلَيها القَاتِلُ مِنْ قَرِيبِ القَتِيلِ الَّذِي يُريدُ الأخذُ بِالثَّأرِ. وَهَكَذا لا يُقتَلُ القاتِلُ إلَى أنْ يَقِفَ أمامَ الشَّعبِ لِلمُحاكَمَةِ.

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 ف َالمُدُنُ الَّتِي تَخْتارُونَها سَتَكُونُ مُدُنَ لُجُوءٍ لَكُمْ.

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

14 ا خْتارُوا ثَلاثَ مُدُنٍ شَرقَ نَهرِ الأُردُنِّ، وَثَلاثَ مُدُنٍ فِي أرْضِ كَنْعانَ، لِتَكُونَ مُدُنَ لُجُوءٍ.

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 ت َكُونُ هَذِهِ المُدُنُ السِّتُّ لِلُجُوءِ بَني إسْرائِيلَ وَالغُرَباءِ السّاكِنِينَ بَينَهُمْ. فَكُلُّ مَنْ يَقتُلُ شَخصاً بِغَيرِ قَصْدٍ، يَهْرُبُ إلَيها.

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 « فَإنْ ضَرَبَ شَخصٌ شَخصاً آخَرَ بِأداةٍ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ فَماتَ، فَإنَّ الضّارِبَ يُعتَبَرُ قاتِلاً وَيَنْبَغِي قَتلُهُ.

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

17 و َإنْ ضَرَبَهُ بِحَجَرٍ بِيَدِهِ مِمّا سَبَّبَ مَوتَهُ، فَإنَّ الضّارِبَ يُعتَبَرُ قاتِلاً وَيَنْبَغِي قَتلُهُ.

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 و َإنْ ضَرَبَهُ بِأداةٍ خَشَبِيَّةٍ بِيَدِهِ مِمّا سَبَّبَ مَوتَهُ، فَإنَّ الضّارِبَ يُعتَبَرُ قاتِلاً وَيَنْبَغِي قَتلُهُ.

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 ا لَّذي يَثأرُ لِلدَّمِ هُوَ يَقْتُلُ القاتِلَ. عِنْدَما يَلْتَقِيانِ، فَالَّذي يَثأرُ لِلدَّمِ يُنَفِّذُ حُكْمَ الإعْدامِ.

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 « وَكَذَلِكَ إنْ دَفَعَهُ بِسَبِبِ كُرْهِهِ لَهُ، أوْ ألقَى شَيئاً عَلَيهِ عَنْ قَصْدٍ فَماتَ،

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 أ وْ إنْ ضَرَبَهُ بِيدِهِ بِسَبِبِ كُرْهِهِ لَهُ، فَماتَ، فَحِينَئِذٍ، يَنْبَغِي قَتلُهُ لأنَّهُ قاتِلٌ. وَالَّذي يَثأرُ لِلدَّمِ فَقَطْ، هُوَ يَقْتُلُ القاتِلَ عِنْدَما يَلْتَقِيانِ.

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 « وَلَكِنْ إنْ دَفَعَهُ بِغَيرِ قَصدٍ وَمِنْ دُونِ كُرْهٍ، أوْ ألقَى شَيئاً عَلَيهِ بِغَيرِ قَصْدٍ،

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

23 أ وْ أسقَطَ حَجَراً بِغَيرِ قَصدٍ، فَسَقَطَ عَلَيهِ فَماتَ، وَلَيسَ بَينَهُما عَداوَةٌ، وَلَمْ يَقصَدِ الأذَى،

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

24 س َيَحُكُمُ الشَّعبُ بَينَ القاتِلِ وَالَّذي يَثأرُ لِدَمِ القَتِيلِ بِحَسَبِ هَذِهِ القَواعِدِ.

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

25 و َيَكُونُ عَلَى الشَّعبِ أنْ يَحمِيَ القاتِلَ مِنْ قَريبِ القَتِيلِ الَّذي يَثأرُ لِدَمِهِ. فَيُعيدُونَهُ إلَى مَدِينَةِ اللُّجُوءِ الَّتِي هَرَبَ إلَيها. فَيَسكُنُ هُناكَ إلَى أنْ يَمُوتَ رَئِيسُ الكَهَنةِ الَّذِي مُسِحَ بِالزَّيتِ المُقَدَّسِ.

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 « لَكِنْ إنْ تَرَكَ القاتِلُ حُدُودَ مَدِينَةِ اللُّجُوءِ الَّتِي هَرَبَ إلَيها،

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

27 و َوَجَدَهُ الَّذي يَثأرُ لِلدَّمِ خارِجَ مَدِينَةِ اللُّجُوءِ، فَيُمْكِنُ لِلَّذي يَثأرُ لِلدَّمِ أنْ يَقتُلَ القاتِلَ. وَلا يُحْسَبُ مُذنِباً بِجِرِيمَةِ قتلٍ.

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 ل أنْ عَلَى القاتِلِ أنْ يَبقَى فِي مَدِينَةِ اللُّجُوءِ إلَى مَوتِ رَئِيسِ الكَهَنَةِ. وَبَعْدَ مَوتِ رَئِيسِ الكَهَنَةِ يُمكِنُ لِلقاتِلِ أنْ يَعُودَ إلَى أرْضِهِ.

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 ه َذِهِ هِيَ أحكامُ الشَّرِيعَةِ لَكُمْ مِنَ الآنَ فَصاعِداً، حَيثُما كَنتُمْ تَقيمُونَ.

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

30 « إنْ قَتَلَ أحَدُهُمْ شَخصاً، فَإنَّهُ يُقتَلُ بِشَهادَةِ شُهُودٍ. لَكِنْ لا يَجُوزُ قَتلُ أحَدٍ بِشَهادَةِ شاهِدٍ واحِدٍ.

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 « لا تَقبَلُوا فِدْيَةً عَنْ حَياةِ القاتِلِ المَحكُومِ عَلَيهِ بِالمَوْتِ، لأنَّهُ يَنبَغِي أنْ يُقتَلَ.

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 « لا تَقبَلُوا فِدْيةً مِنَ الشَّخصِ الَّذِي هَرَبَ إلَى مَدِينَةِ لُجُوءٍ لِكَي يَعُودَ وَيَسْكُنَ فِي الأرْضِ حَيثُما يَشاءُ. بَلْ يَبقَى هُناكَ إلَى مَوتِ رَئِيسِ الكَهَنَةِ.

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 ف َلا تُفسِدُوا الأرْضَ الَّتِي تَعيشُونَ عَلَيها، فَلا فِديَةَ لِتَحْريرِ الأرْضِ مِنْ جَرِيمَةِ القَتلِ الُمرتَكَبَةِ فِيها، إلّا مَوتُ القاتِلِ.

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 ف َلا تُنَجِّسُوا الأرْضَ الَّتِي تُقيمُونَ فِيها، وَالَّتِي أنا أيضاً أسكُنْ فِي وَسَطِها. إنِّي أنا اللهُ السَّاكِنُ وَسَطَ بَني إسْرائِيلَ.»

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.’”