Numbers 35

1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying,

2 "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.

Command the children of Israel, that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give [also] to the Levites suburbs for the cities around them.

3 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.

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

4 "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.

And the suburbs of the cities which ye shall give to the Levites, [shall reach] from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits on all sides.

5 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.

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 "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.

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

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

[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 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."

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 to the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

9 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When ye have passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

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

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

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

And they shall be to you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the man-slayer may not die, until he stands before the congregation in judgment.

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

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

14 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.

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

15 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.

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 struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

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

17 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.

And if he shall smite him by throwing a stone, by which he may die, and he shall die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 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.

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

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

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

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

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

21 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.

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

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

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

23 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;

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

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

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

25 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.

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

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

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

27 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,

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

28 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.

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

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

30 "'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.

Whoever 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 "'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.

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

32 "'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.

And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that hath fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

33 "'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.

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

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

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