1 N ow the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,

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

2 “ Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities.

Command 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.

3 T he cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

And 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.

4 “ The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits around.

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 also measure outside 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, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities. Cities of Refuge

Then 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.

6 T he cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; 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 so that the manslayer may flee there; and in addition to them ye shall give them forty-two cities.

7 A ll the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands.

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

8 A s for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”

And 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.

9 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

10 “ Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

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

11 t hen you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there.

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

12 T he cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial.

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

13 T he cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

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

14 Y ou shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge.

Ye 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.

15 T hese six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

These 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.

16 ‘ But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

And 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.

17 I f he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

And 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.

18 O r if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Or 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.

19 T he blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.

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

20 I f he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died,

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

21 o r if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

or 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.

22 ‘ But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait,

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

23 o r with any deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury,

or 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,

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

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

25 T he congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

And 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.

26 B ut if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee,

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

27 a nd the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood

and 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.

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 to the land of his possession.

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 manslayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29 ‘ These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

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

30 ‘ If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

Whoever 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.

31 M oreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.

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

32 Y ou shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest.

And 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.

33 S o you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.

So 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.

34 Y ou shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”

Defile 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.