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Cities for the Levites
And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying:
And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying:
Towns for the Levites
While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,
While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,
“Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities.
“Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands.
They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals.
These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock.
The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.
And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.
“Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities.
“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.
So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land.
In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites.
And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.”
These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land.”
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.
“When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
“When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.
designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.
They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.
These cities will be places of protection from a dead person’s relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put to death before being tried by the community.
And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge.
Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves,
You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge.
three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan.
These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.
These cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety.
‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
“But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed.
And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.
Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.
The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.
If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies,
So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder.
or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet.
‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait,
“But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,
or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,
or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies.
then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.
If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim’s nearest relative:
So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
The community must protect the slayer from the avenger and must escort the slayer back to live in the city of refuge to which he fled. There he must remain until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the sacred oil.
But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,
“But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge,
and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder.
because he should have remained 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.
The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property.
‘And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live.
Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.
“All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.
Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death.
And you shall take 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 priest.
And never accept a ransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing a slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest.