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

Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at 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 children of Israel to give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in. You shall give suburbs for the cities around them to the Levites.

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.

They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their suburbs shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, 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 suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits around it.

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

You shall measure outside of 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 middle. This shall be the suburbs of their 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.

“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give 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.

All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together 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.”

Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many; and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”

9 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over 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 you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly 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.

The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

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

The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of 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.

You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They 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.

For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the foreigner living among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that everyone who kills any person unwittingly 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.

“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, 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.

If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, 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 struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, 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 avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death.

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

If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that 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 in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer 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 shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying 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, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him, so that he died, and he 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 striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

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 congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until 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 man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees,

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 avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer; he shall not be guilty of 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.

because 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 man slayer 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.

“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations 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 slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he 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 you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely 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 shall take no ransom for him who is fled to his city of refuge, that he may 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 you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who 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.’”

You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, in the middle of which I dwell; for I, Yahweh, dwell in the middle of the children of Israel.’”