Chapter 35

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying,²

Command¹⁶ the children of Israel, that they give¹ unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in;² and ye shall give⁴ [also] unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

And the cities shall they have to dwell in;² 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 give⁴ unto the Levites, [shall reach] from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

And ye shall measure¹ 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 give⁴ unto the Levites [there shall be] six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint⁴ for the manslayer,⁶ that he may flee² thither: and to them ye shall add⁴ forty and two cities.

[So] all the cities which ye shall give⁴ to the Levites [shall be] forty and eight cities: them [shall ye give] with their suburbs.

And the cities which ye shall give⁴ [shall be] of the possession of the children of Israel: from [them that have] many ye shall give many;⁵⁵ but from [them that have] few ye shall give few:⁵⁵ every one shall give⁴ of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.⁴

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses, saying,²

Speak¹⁶ unto the children of Israel, and say¹ unto them, When ye be come over⁶ Jordan into the land of Canaan;

Then ye shall appoint⁵² you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer⁶ may flee¹ thither, which killeth⁵⁶ any person at unawares.

And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger;⁶ that the manslayer⁶ die⁴ not, until he stand² before the congregation in judgment.

And of these cities which ye shall give⁴ six cities shall ye have for refuge.

Ye shall give⁴ three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give⁴ 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 killeth⁵⁶ any person unawares may flee² thither.

And if he smite⁵² him with an instrument of iron, so that he die,⁴ he [is] a murderer:⁶ the murderer⁶ shall surely² be put to death.⁹³

And if he smite⁵² him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die,⁴ and he die,⁴ he [is] a murderer:⁶ the murderer⁶ shall surely² be put to death.⁹³

Or [if] he smite⁵² him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die,⁴ and he die,⁴ he [is] a murderer:⁶ the murderer⁶ shall surely² be put to death.⁹³

The revenger⁶ of blood himself shall slay⁵⁵ the murderer:⁶ when he meeteth² him, he shall slay⁵⁵ him.

But if he thrust⁴ him of hatred, or hurl⁵² at him by laying of wait, that he die;⁴

Or in enmity smite⁵² him with his hand, that he die:⁴ he that smote⁵⁶ [him] shall surely² be put to death;⁹³ [for] he [is] a murderer:⁶ the revenger⁶ of blood shall slay⁵⁵ the murderer,⁶ when he meeteth² him.

But if he thrust¹ him suddenly without enmity, or have cast⁵² upon him any thing without laying of wait,

Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die,⁴ seeing² [him] not, and cast⁵⁵ [it] upon him, that he die,⁴ and [was] not his enemy,⁶ neither sought¹⁸ his harm:

Then the congregation shall judge¹ between the slayer⁵⁶ and the revenger⁶ of blood according to these judgments:

And the congregation shall deliver⁵² the slayer⁶ out of the hand of the revenger⁶ of blood, and the congregation shall restore⁵² him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled:¹ and he shall abide¹ in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed¹ with the holy oil.

But if the slayer⁶ shall at any time² come without⁴ the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;⁴

And the revenger⁶ of blood find¹ him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger⁶ of blood kill¹ the slayer;⁶ he shall not be guilty of blood:

Because he should have remained⁴ in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer⁶ shall return⁴ 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 killeth⁵⁶ any person, the murderer⁶ shall be put to death⁴ by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify⁴ against any person [to cause him] to die.²

Moreover ye shall take⁴ no satisfaction for the life of a murderer,⁶ which [is] guilty of death:² but he shall be surely² put to death.⁹³

And ye shall take⁴ no satisfaction for him that is fled² to the city of his refuge, that he should come again² to dwell² in the land, until the death of the priest.

So ye shall not pollute⁵⁵ the land wherein ye [are]: for blood it defileth⁵⁵ the land: and the land cannot be cleansed²⁹ of the blood that is shed²⁷ therein, but by the blood of him that shed⁶ it.

Defile¹⁷ not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit,⁶ wherein I dwell:⁶ for I the LORD dwell⁶ among the children of Israel.