Numbers 35

1 And the Lord spoke these things also to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, over against Jericho:

YHWH spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

2 Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites out of their possessions,

"Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and you shall give suburbs for the cities around them to the Levites.

3 Cities to dwell in, and their suburbs round about: that they may abide in the towns, and the suburbs may be for their cattle and beasts:

The cities shall they have to dwell in; and their suburbs shall be for their livestock, and for their substance, and for all their animals.

4 Which suburbs shall reach from the walls of the cities outward, a thousand paces on every side:

"The suburbs of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand seven hundred twenty-two feet six inches around it.

5 Toward the east shall be two thousand cubits: and toward the south in like manner shall be two thousand cubits: toward the sea also, which looketh to the west, shall be the same extent: and the north side shall be bounded with the like limits. And the cities shall be in the midst, and the suburbs without.

You shall measure outside of the city for the east side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, and for the south side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, and for the west side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, and for the north side three thousand four hundred forty-five feet, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

6 And among the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for refuge to fugitives, that he who hath shed blood may flee to them: and besides these there shall be other 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 manslayer to flee to: and besides them you shall give forty-two cities.

7 That is, in all forty-eight with their suburbs.

All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their suburbs.

8 And of these cities which shall be given out of the possessions of the children of Israel, from them that have more, more shall be taken: and from them that have less, fewer. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the extent of their inheritance.

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 of his cities to the Levites."

9 The Lord said to Moses:

YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,

10 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When you shall have passed over the Jordan into the land of Chanaan,

"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 Determine what cities shall be for the refuge of fugitives, who have shed blood against their will.

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

12 And when the fugitive shall be in them, the kinsman of him that is slain may not have power to kill him, until he stand before the multitude, and his cause be judged.

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

13 And of those cities, that are separated for the refuge of fugitives,

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

14 Three shall be beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Chanaan,

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 As well for the children of Israel as for strangers and sojourners, that he may flee to them, who hath shed blood against his will.

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 If any man strike with iron, and he die that was struck: he shall be guilty of murder, and he himself shall die.

"'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 If he throw a stone, and he that is struck die: he shall be punished in the same manner.

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 If he that is struck with wood die: he shall be revenged by the blood of him that struck him.

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 The kinsman of him that was slain, shall kill the murderer: as soon as he apprehendeth him, he shall kill him.

The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meets him, he shall put him to death.

20 If through hatred any one push a man, or fling any thing at him with ill design:

If he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died,

21 Or being his enemy, strike; him with his hand, and he die: the striker shall be guilty of murder: the kinsman of him that was slain as soon as he findeth him, shall kill him.

or in enmity struck him with his hand, so that he died; he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer, the murderer must surely be put to death; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 But if by chance medley, and without hatred,

"'But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait,

23 And enmity, he do any of these things,

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 And this be proved in the hearing of the people, and the cause be debated between him that struck, and the next of kin:

then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

25 The innocent shall be delivered from the hand of the revenger, and shall be brought back by sentence into the city, to which he had fled, and he shall abide there until the death of the high priest, that is anointed with the holy oil.

and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he was fled: and he shall dwell in it until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 If the murderer be found without the limits of the cities that are appointed for the banished,

"'But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees,

27 And be struck by him that is the avenger of blood: he shall not be guilty that killed him.

and the avenger of blood find him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kill the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood,

28 For the fugitive ought to have stayed in the city until the death of the high priest: and after he is dead, then shall the manslayer return to his own country.

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 manslayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29 These things shall be perpetual, and for an ordinance in all your dwellings.

"'These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 The murderer shall be punished by witnesses: none shall be condemned upon the evidence of one man.

"'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 You shall not take money of him that is guilty of blood, but he shall die forthwith.

"'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 The banished and fugitives before the death of the high priest may by no means return into their own cities.

"'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 Defile not the land of your habitation, which is stained with the blood of the innocent: neither can it otherwise be expiated, but by his blood that hath shed the blood of another.

"'So you shall not pollute the land in which you are: for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.

34 And thus shall your possession he cleansed, myself abiding with you. For I am the Lord that dwell among the children of Israel.

You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell: for I, YHWH, dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.'"