1 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan of Jericho, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho,

2 C ommand the sons 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 the suburbs of those cities round about them.

Command 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.

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

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

4 A nd 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.

And 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.

5 T hen ye shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the side of the Negev 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.

You 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.

6 A nd among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint so that the manslayer may flee there; and in addition to them ye shall give them forty-two cities.

Of 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.

7 S o all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, the cities with their suburbs.

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

8 A nd the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the sons of Israel; from those that have much ye shall give many; but from those that have few ye shall give few, each one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his possession which he inherited.

As 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.

9 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses,

10 S peak unto the sons of Israel and say unto them, When ye have passed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

Say to the Israelites, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 t hen ye shall appoint yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you that the manslayer who kills any person unawares may flee there.

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

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

And 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.

13 A nd of these cities which ye shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge.

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

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

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

15 T hese six cities shall be a refuge, both for the sons of Israel and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them that anyone that kills another person unawares may flee there.

These 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.

16 A nd if he smites him with an instrument of iron so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

But 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.

17 A nd if he smites him by throwing a stone with which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

And 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.

18 O r if he smites him with a hand weapon of wood with which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Or 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.

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

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

20 B ut if he thrusts him out of hatred or hurls at him by laying in wait, so that he dies

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

21 o r out of enmity smites him with his hand so that he dies, he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer; the kinsman avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.

Or 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.

22 B ut if he thrusts him suddenly without enmity, or has cast upon him any thing without laying in wait,

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

23 o r with any stone, with which a man may die, seeing him not and casts it upon him that he dies, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm,

Or 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,

24 t hen the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the kinsman avenger of blood according to these laws.

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

25 A nd the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the kinsman avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, where he has fled, and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

And 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.

26 B ut if the manslayer shall at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge where he has fled,

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

27 a nd the kinsman avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the kinsman avenger of blood slays the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of his blood.

And 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

28 H e 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 manslayer shall return into the land of his possession.

Because 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.

29 S o these things shall be for a statute of rights unto you throughout your ages in all your dwellings.

And 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 by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

Whoever 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.

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

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

32 A nd ye shall take no ransom 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.

And 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.

33 S o ye shall not pollute the land where ye are, for this blood shall defile the land; and the land cannot be reconciled of the blood that is shed therein except by the blood of the one that shed it.

So 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.

34 D efile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the sons of Israel.

And 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.