1 A nd the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying:

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, Jericho, saying,

2 “ Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities.

`Command the sons of Israel, and they have given to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to inhabit; also a suburb for the cities round about them ye do give to the Levites.

3 T hey shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals.

And the cities have been to them to inhabit, and their suburbs are for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

4 T he common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.

`And the suburbs of the cities which ye give to the Levites, from the wall of the city and without, a thousand cubits round about.

5 A nd you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.

And ye have measured from the outside of the city, the east quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the south quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the west quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the north quarter, two thousand by the cubit; and the city in the midst; this is to them the suburbs of the cities.

6 “ Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities.

`And the cities which ye give to the Levites the six cities of refuge, which ye give for the fleeing thither of the man-slayer, and besides them ye give forty and two cities;

7 S o all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land.

all the cities which ye give to the Levites forty and eight cities, them and their suburbs.

8 A nd the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.” Cities of Refuge

And the cities which ye give of the possession of the sons of Israel, from the many ye multiply, and from the few ye diminish; each, according to his inheritance which they inherit, doth give of his cities to the Levites.'

9 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

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

`Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When ye are passing over the Jordan to the land of Canaan,

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

and have prepared to yourselves cities -- cities of refuge they are to you -- then fled thither hath a man-slayer, smiting a person unawares,

12 T hey shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.

and the cities have been to you for a refuge from the redeemer, and the man-slayer doth not die till his standing before the company for judgment.

13 A nd of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge.

`As to the cities which ye give -- six cities of refuge to you;

14 Y ou shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge.

the three of the cities ye give beyond the Jordan, and the three of the cities ye give in the land of Canaan; cities of refuge they are.

15 T hese six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

To sons of Israel, and to a sojourner, and to a settler in their midst, are these six cities for a refuge, for the fleeing thither of any one smiting a person unawares.

16 ‘ But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

`And if with an instrument of iron he hath smitten him, and he dieth, he a murderer: the murderer is certainly put to death.

17 A nd if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

`And if with a stone the hand, wherewith he dieth, he hath smitten him, and he dieth, he a murderer: the murderer is certainly put to death.

18 O r if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

`Or with a wooden instrument the hand, wherewith he dieth, he hath smitten him, and he dieth, he a murderer: the murderer is certainly put to death.

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

`The redeemer of blood himself doth put the murderer to death; in his coming against him he doth put him to death.

20 I f he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies,

`And if in hatred he thrust him through, or hath cast at him by lying in wait, and he dieth;

21 o r in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one 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.

or in enmity he hath smitten him with his hand, and he dieth; the smiter is certainly put to death; he a murderer; the redeemer of blood doth put the murderer to death in his coming against him.

22 ‘ However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait,

`And if, in an instant, without enmity, he hath thrust him through, or hath cast at him any instrument, without lying in wait;

23 o r uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,

or with any stone wherewith he dieth, without seeing, and causeth to fall upon him, and he dieth, and he not his enemy, nor seeking his evil;

24 t hen the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

then have the company judged between the smiter and the redeemer of blood, by these judgments.

25 S o the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

`And the company have delivered the man-slayer out of the hand of the redeemer of blood, and the company have caused him to turn back unto the city of his refuge, whither he hath fled, and he hath dwelt in it till the death of the chief priest, who hath been anointed with the holy oil.

26 B ut if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,

`And if the man-slayer at all go out the border of the city of his refuge whither he fleeth,

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

and the redeemer of blood hath found him at the outside of the border of the city of his refuge, and the redeemer of blood hath slain the man-slayer, blood is not for 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 may return to the land of his possession.

for in the city of his refuge he doth dwell till the death of the chief priest; and after the death of the chief priest doth the man-slayer turn back unto the city of his possession.

29 ‘ And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

`And these things have been to you for a statute of judgment to your generations, in all your dwellings:

30 W hoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.

whoso smiteth a person, by the mouth of witnesses doth slay the murderer; and one witness doth not testify against a person -- to die.

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

`And ye take no atonement for the life of a murderer who condemned -- to die, for he is certainly put to death;

32 A nd you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

and ye take no atonement for him to flee unto the city of his refuge, to turn back to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

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

`And ye profane not the land which ye in, for blood profaneth the land; as to the land, it is not pardoned for blood which is shed in it except by the blood of him who sheddeth it;

34 T herefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.’”

and ye defile not the land in which ye are dwelling, in the midst of which I do tabernacle, for I Jehovah do tabernacle in the midst of the sons of Israel.'