1 T he Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho,

And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

2 “ 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.

Command the children 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 suburbs for the cities round about them.

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

And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

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

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 A nd 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.

And ye shall measure from without 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; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

6 T he 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.

And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

7 G ive forty-eight cities in all to the Levites, together with their fields.

So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.

8 T ake 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

And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

9 T hen the Lord said to Moses,

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

10 “ Say to the people of Israel, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

11 c hoose 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.

Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

12 T he 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.

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

13 T he cities you give will be your six cities where you can go to be safe.

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

14 G ive 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.

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

15 T hese 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.

These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

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

And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 I f he knocked him down with a stone so that he died, he is guilty. For sure the killer will be put to death.

And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 O r 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.

Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19 T he 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.

The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

20 I f 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,

But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

21 o r 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.

Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

22 ‘ But if he pushed him without planning to and without hating him, or threw something at him without having waited for him,

But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

23 o r he threw a stone without seeing him, killing him without hating him or meaning to hurt him,

Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

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

Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

25 T he 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.

And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

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

But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

27 t hen the man who wants to punish him will not be guilty of blood if he finds him outside the safe city and kills him.

And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

28 B ecause 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.

Because 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 slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29 ‘ These things will be a Law to you and to all your children-to-come in all your homes.

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

30 I f 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.

Whoso killeth 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 Y ou must not take pay to save the life of a killer who is guilty of death. But he must be put to death.

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

32 Y ou 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.

And ye shall take no satisfaction 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 Y ou 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.

So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

34 D o 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.’”

Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.