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.
1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the plaine of Moab by Iorden, toward Iericho, saying, 2 Commande ye children of Israel, that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritace of their possession, cities to dwell in: yee shall giue also vnto the Leuites the suburbes of the cities round about them. 3 So they shall haue the cities to dwell in, and their suburbes shall be for their cattell, and for their substance, and for all their beasts. 4 And the suburbes of the cities, which ye shall giue vnto the Leuites, from the wall of the citie outward, shalbe a thousand cubites round about. 5 And yee shall measure without the citie of the Eastside, two thousand cubites: and of the Southside, two thousand cubites: and of the Westside, two thousand cubites: and of ye Northside, two thousand cubites: and the citie shalbe in ye middes. this shalbe the measure of the suburbes of their cities. 6 And of the cities which yee shall giue vnto the Leuites, there shalbe sixe cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint, that he which killeth, may flee thither: and to them yee shall adde two and fourtie cities more. 7 All the cities which yee shall giue to the Leuites, shalbe eight and fourtie cities: them shall ye giue with their suburbes. 8 And concerning the cities which yee shall giue, of the possession of the children of Israel: of many ye shall take more, and of few ye shall take lesse: euery one shall giue of his cities vnto the Leuites, according to his inheritance, which hee inheriteth. 9 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 10 Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, When ye be come ouer Iorden into the land of Canaan, 11 Ye shall appoint you cities, to bee cities of refuge for you, that the slayer, which slayeth any person vnwares, may flee thither. 12 And these cities shalbe for you a refuge from the auenger, that he which killeth, die not, vntill he stand before the Congregation in iudgement. 13 And of the cities which ye shall giue, sixe cities shall ye haue for refuge. 14 Ye shall appoint three on this side Iorden, and ye shall appoint three cities in the lande of Canaan which shalbe cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shalbe a refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that dwelleth among you, that euery one which killeth any person vnwares, may flee thither. 16 And if one smite another with an instrument of yron that hee die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 17 Also if hee smite him by casting a stone, wherewith hee may be slaine, and he die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may be slaine, if he die, he is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 19 The reuenger of the blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20 But if hee thrust him of hate, or hurle at him by laying of wait, that he die, 21 Or smite him through enimitie with his hand, that he die, he that smote him shall die ye death: for hee is a murtherer: the reuenger of the blood shall slay the murtherer when he meeteth him. 22 But if he pusshed him vnaduisedly, and not of hatred, or cast vpon him any thing, without laying of waite, 23 Or any stone (whereby he might be slaine) and sawe him not, or caused it to fall vpon him, and he die, and was not his enemie, neither sought him any harme, 24 Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood according to these lawes. 25 And the Congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hande of the auenger of blood, and the Congregation shall restore him vnto the citie of his refuge, whither hee was fled: and hee shall abide there vnto the death of the hie Priest, which is anointed with the holy oyle. 26 But if the slayer come without the borders of the citie of his refuge, whither he was fled, 27 And the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the citie of his refuge, and the reueger of blood slay ye murtherer, he shalbe giltles, 28 Because he should haue remained in the citie of his refuge, vntill the death of the hie Priest: and after the death of the hie Priest, the slayer shall returne vnto the land of his possession. 29 So these thinges shall be a lawe of iudgement vnto you, throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whosoeuer killeth any person, the Iudge shall slay the murtherer, through witnesses: but one witnesse shall not testifie against a person to cause him to die. 31 Moreouer ye shall take no recompense for the life of the murtherer, which is worthy to die: but he shalbe put to death. 32 Also ye shall take no recompense for him that is fled to the citie of his refuge, that he should come againe, and dwell in the lande, before the death of the hie Priest. 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye shall dwell: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be clensed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 Defile not therefore the lande which yee shall inhabite, For I dwell in the middes thereof: for I the Lord dwel among the children of Israel.