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

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

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.

“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 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.

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

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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.”

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 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

10 “ Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross 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 you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there.

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 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.

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

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

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.

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 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 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 ‘ 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.

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

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

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 I f he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result 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 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 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 ‘ But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him 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 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 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 slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances.

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

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.

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 at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee,

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

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

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 to 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 ‘ These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to 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 ‘ 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.

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, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.’”

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.’”