Numbers 35
1 Yahweh told this to Moses/me [while the Israeli people were] on the plain in the Moab region near the Jordan [River], across from Jericho:
The Lord spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan opposite Jericho. He told him,
2 “Tell the Israeli people that from the land that they will receive, they must give to the descendants of Levi some cities in which they can live. They must also give them some land around these cities.
“Order the Israelites to provide from their land allocation towns for the Levites to live in and pastures around the towns.
3 Those will be for the descendants of Levi to live in, and around the cities will be land for their cattle and flocks of sheep and goats and other animals.
The towns are for them to live in, and the pastures will be for their herds and their flocks—for all their livestock.
4 “The land that you give them for their animals must extend out for (1,500 feet/450 meters) from the walls of the cities.
The pastures around the towns you give to the Levites are to extend out from the wall a thousand cubits on all sides.
5 Also measure (3,000 feet/900 meters) in each direction out from the walls of each city. That additional land will be land for their animals outside the walls of the cities.”
Measure two thousand cubits outside the town on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the town in the middle. These areas will be their pastures around the towns.
6 “Six of the cities that you give to the descendants of Levi will be cities to which people [can run] to be safe. If someone [accidentally] kills someone else, the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities to be safe.
Six of the towns you give the Levites are to be sanctuary towns, where a person who kills someone can run for protection. As well as these towns, give the Levites forty-two more.
7 You must also give to the descendants of Levi 42 other cities and the land around those cities, for their animals,
The total number of towns you are to give the Levites is forty-eight, along with their pastures.
8 The Israeli tribes that have the most people must give them more cities than the tribes that have fewer people give. Each tribe must give some of its cities to the descendants of Levi, but the tribes that have more land must give more cities, and the tribes that have less land will give fewer cities.”
The towns that you allocate to be given to the Levites from the territory of the Israelites will be more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. The number will be in proportion to the size of the land allocation of each tribe.”
9 Yahweh also said to Moses/me,
The Lord told Moses,
10 “Tell this to the Israeli people: When you cross the Jordan [River] and enter the Canaan [region],
“Tell the Israelites: ‘When you cross over the Jordan into Canaan,
11 you must choose some cities to which people can run to be safe/protected. If someone kills another person (accidentally/without planning to do that), the one who killed that person may run to one of those cities and be safe.
choose towns as your sanctuary towns, so a person who kills someone by mistake may run there.
12 One of the relatives of the person who was killed may think he must avenge his relative’s death [by killing the murderer]. But in that city, the killer will be safe [because the people in that city would kill those relatives if they tried to get revenge there]. The man who killed someone accidentally [must] be put on trial in a court.
These towns will be for you places of sanctuary from those seeking revenge, so that the killer will not die until they are tried in court.
13 You must set apart six cities to be cities to which someone who killed another person accidentally may run and be safe.
The towns you choose will be your six sanctuary towns.
14 There must be three of those cities on the east side of the Jordan [River] and three that will be [on the west side], in the Canaan region.
Choose three cities on the other side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.
15 Those six cities will be cities where Israeli people may run to and be safe, and where foreigners and other people who are living among you can also run to and be safe. Any of those people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of those cities [and be safe/protected there].
These six cities will be places of sanctuary for the Israelites and for foreigners or settlers among them, so that anyone who kills a person by mistake may run there.
16 “But [you must consider that] anyone who kills another person with an iron weapon or with a big rock or with a piece of wood, is a murderer, and the one who killed the other person must be executed.
But if anyone deliberately hits someone with something made of iron and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
If anyone picks up something made of stone that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
If anyone picks up something made of wood that could be used as a weapon and hits someone with it, and kills them, that person is a murderer and must be executed.
19 A relative of the person who was murdered must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
The avenger is to execute the murderer. When he finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
20 If someone shoves another person [over a cliff] or throws something at another person
Similarly, if anyone hates someone and knocks them down or deliberately throws something at them, and they're killed;
21 or hits that person with his hand/fist and causes that person to die, if he did it because he hated that person, then you must consider that he is a murderer, and must be executed. A relative of the person who was killed must be the one who executes the murderer as soon as he finds him.
or if someone hits another with his hand and they die, the one who hit him must be executed because he is a murderer. When the avenger finds the murderer, he is to kill him.
22 “But someone might accidentally shove someone else, or accidentally throw something at another person and hit him, not because he hates that person.
But if anyone knocks someone else down without meaning to and without hating them, or throws something at them not meaning to hurt them,
23 Or he might drop a rock on someone that he did not see. If the one who does that does not plan to hurt anyone and does not hate the person that was killed,
or carelessly drops a heavy stone that kills them, but not as an enemy or intending to harm them,
24 the people of that city must decide whether the relative of the dead person [has the right to get revenge], or whether the one who killed the other person [truly did it (accidentally/without planning to do it)].
then the community must judge between the killer and the avenger following these regulations.
25 [If they decide that the killer planned to kill the other person, they must not allow him to stay in their city. But if they decide that it was done accidentally], they must protect the killer from being killed by the dead person’s relative. They must send the killer to one of the cities where he will be safe/protected, and allow him to stay there until the Supreme Priest dies. [After that, the killer may go back to his home, because the dead person’s relative no longer has the right to get revenge].
The court is to protect the killer from being attacked by the avenger and must return him to the sanctuary town that he ran to, and he must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with holy oil.
26 “But [while the Supreme Priest is still living], the person who is in that safe city must not leave that city.
But if the killer ever leaves the limits of sanctuary town where they ran to,
27 If he goes outside the city, and if a relative of the dead person finds him, that relative is permitted to kill that person, [and people will not consider that the relative is guilty of murder.]
and the avenger finds him them outside his sanctuary town and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of murder,
28 The killer must stay in that city where he will be safe/protected until the Supreme Priest dies. [He will be safe from revenge after that, because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to be a sacrifice to atone for that murder]. After that, the killer may return to his home.
because the killer has to stay in his sanctuary town until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest are they allowed to return to the land they own.
29 “You must always obey those regulations, wherever you live.
These regulations apply to all future generations wherever you live.
30 “If someone [is accused of] killing another person, the one who is accused may be executed only if there are people who saw him do it. There must be more than one witness; no one is permitted to be executed if there was only one (witness/person who saw him do it).
If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be executed based on the evidence given by witnesses, plural. No one is to be executed based on the evidence given by a single witness.
31 “If there is a murderer who truly should be executed, do not [spare his life by] accepting (a ransom/money for him not to be killed). He must be executed.
You are not to accept payment instead of executing a murderer who has been found guilty—they must be executed.
32 “If someone has run to a city where he will be safe/protected, do not allow him to give you money in order that you will permit him to return to his home before the Supreme Priest dies.
Also you are not allowed to accept payment for a person who runs to a sanctuary town and permit them to return and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.
33 “You must execute people who truly murder others. If you did not do that, you would be causing the people who live in the land to become unacceptable to me. Anyone who deliberately kills an innocent person must be executed.
Don't pollute the land where you live because bloodshed pollutes the land, and the land where blood is shed can't be purified except by the blood of the one who shed it.
34 I am Yahweh, and I live among you Israelis, so do not spoil/pollute the land by allowing people to murder others without being punished.”
Don't make the land impure where you live because I live there too. I am the Lord, and I live with the Israelites.”
