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