1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by
Jordan near Jericho,
saying,
2 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak
unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan
into the land of Canaan;
11 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 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 And
of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
14 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 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 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 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 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 The
revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he
shall slay him.
20 But
if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
21 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 thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing
without laying of wait,
23 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 Then
the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood
according to these judgments:
25 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 But
if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his
refuge, whither he was fled;
27 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 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 So
these things shall
be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your
dwellings.
30 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 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 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 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 Defile
not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD
dwell among the children of Israel.
