1On the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, the Lord said to Moses,2‘Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasture-lands around the towns.3Then they will have towns to live in and pasture-lands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.4‘The pasture-lands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits[1] from the town wall.5Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits[2] on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the centre. They will have this area as pasture-land for the towns.
Cities of refuge
6‘Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.7In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasture-lands.8The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.’9Then the Lord said to Moses:10‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,11select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee.12They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.13These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.14Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.15These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.16‘ “If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.17Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.18Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.19The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.20If anyone with malice aforethought pushes another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die21or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.22‘ “But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally23or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended,24the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations.25The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with holy oil.26‘ “But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled27and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder.28The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.29‘ “This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.30‘ “Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no-one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.31‘ “Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.32‘ “Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.33‘ “Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.” ’
Numbers 35
English Standard Version
Cities for the Levites
1The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, (Nu 22:1)2“Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. (Jos 14:3; Jos 21:2; Eze 45:1; Eze 48:8)3The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts.4The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits[1] all around.5And you shall measure, outside 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, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.6“The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. (Nu 35:13; De 4:41; Jos 20:2; Jos 20:7; Jos 21:3; Jos 21:13; Jos 21:21; Jos 21:27; Jos 21:32; Jos 21:36; Jos 21:38)7All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. (Jos 21:41)8And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.” (Nu 26:54; Nu 33:54; Jos 21:3)
Cities of Refuge
9And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,10“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, (De 19:2; Jos 20:2)11then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. (Ex 21:13)12The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.13And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. (Nu 35:6)14You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. (De 4:41; Jos 20:8)15These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there. (Nu 15:16)16“But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. (Ex 21:12; Ex 21:14; Le 24:17; De 19:11)17And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.18Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.19The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. (De 19:6; De 19:12; Jos 20:3; Jos 20:5)20And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, (Ex 21:14; De 19:11)21or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. (Nu 35:19)22“But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait (Ex 21:13)23or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,24then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. (Nu 35:12; Nu 35:19; Jos 20:6)25And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. (Ex 29:7; Le 4:3; Le 21:10; Jos 20:6)26But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled,27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. (Nu 35:19)28For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. (Nu 35:25)29And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. (Nu 27:11)30“If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. (De 17:6; De 19:15; Mt 18:16; Joh 8:17; 2Co 13:1; 1Ti 5:19; Heb 10:28)31Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death.32And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest.33You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. (Ge 9:6; Ps 106:38; Jer 3:1; Jer 3:9; Mic 4:11)34You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.” (Ex 29:45; Le 18:25; De 21:23)