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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,
Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
“Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands.
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.
These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock.
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.
“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.
Six Cities of Refuge
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.
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.
In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites.
So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
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.”
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.
“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,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.
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.
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 they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves,
And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan.
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 cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety.
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.
“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 smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he 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.
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 someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must 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 victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.
The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder.
But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
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.
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 suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,
But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies.
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:
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:
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
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.
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 ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge,
But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder.
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:
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.
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.
These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live.
So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
“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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.