Dual Panel1Then the Lord <03068> spoke <01696> to <0413> Moses <04872> in the Moabite <04124> plains <06160> by <05921> the Jordan <03383> near Jericho <03405>. He said <0559>:
2“Instruct <06680> the Israelites <03478> <01121> to give <05414> the Levites <03881> towns <05892> to live <03427> in from the inheritance <05159> the Israelites will possess <0272>. You must also give <05414> the Levites <03881> grazing land <04054> around <05439> the towns <05892>.
3Thus they will <01961> have towns <05892> in which to live <03427>, and their grazing lands <04054> will be <01961> for their cattle <0929>, for their possessions <07399>, and for all <03605> their animals <02416>.
4The grazing lands <04054> around the towns <05892> that <0834> you will give <05414> to the Levites <03881> must extend <02351> to a distance of 500 <0505> yards <0520> from the town <05892> wall <07023>.
5“You must measure <04058> from outside <02351> the wall <06285> of the town <05892> on the east <06924> 1,000 yards <0520> <0505>, and on the south <05045> side <06285> 1,000 yards <0520> <0505>, and on the west <03220> side <06285> 1,000 yards <0520> <0505>, and on the north <06828> side <06285> 1,000 yards <0520> <0505>, with the town <05892> in the middle <08432>. This <02088> territory must belong <01961> to them as grazing land <04054> for the towns <05892>.
6Now from these towns <05892> that <0834> you will give <05414> to the Levites <03881> you must select six <08337> towns <05892> of refuge <04733> to which <0834> a person <07523> who has killed <05414> someone may flee <05127>. And you must give <05414> them forty-two <08147> <0705> other towns <05892>.
7“So the total <03605> of the towns <05892> <05892> you will give <05414> the Levites <03881> is forty-eight <08083> <0705>. You must give these together with their grazing lands <04054>.
8The towns <05892> you will give <05414> must be from the possession <0272> of the Israelites <03478> <01121>. From the larger <07227> tribes you must give more <07235>; and from the smaller <04592> tribes fewer <04591>. Each <0376> must contribute <05414> some of its own towns <05892> to the Levites <03881> in proportion <06310> to the inheritance <05159> allocated <05157> to each.
9Then the Lord <03069> spoke <01696> to <0413> Moses <04872>:
10“Speak <01696> to <0413> the Israelites <03478> <01121> and tell <0559> them, ‘When <03588> you <0859> cross over <05674> the Jordan River <03383> into the land <0776> of Canaan <03667>,
11you must then designate <07136> some towns <05892> as towns <05892> of refuge <04733> for you, to which a person <07523> who has killed <05221> someone <05315> unintentionally <07684> may flee <05127>.
12And they must stand <01961> as your towns <05892> of refuge <04733> from the avenger <01350> in order that the killer <07523> may not <03808> die <04191> until <05704> he has stood <05975> trial <04941> before <06440> the community <05712>.
13These towns <05892> that <0834> you must give <05414> shall be <01961> your six <08337> towns <05892> for refuge <04733>.
14“You must give <05414> three <07969> towns <05892> on this side <05676> of the Jordan <03383>, and you must give <05414> three <07969> towns <05892> in the land <0776> of Canaan <03667>; they must be <01961> towns <05892> of refuge <04733>.
15These <0428> six <08337> towns <05892> will be <01961> places of refuge <04733> for the Israelites <03478> <01121>, and for the foreigner <01616>, and for the settler <08453> among <08432> them, so that anyone <03605> who kills <05221> any person <05315> accidentally <07684> may flee <05127> there <08033>.
16“But if <0518> he hits <05221> someone with an iron <01270> tool <03627> so that he dies <04191>, he is a murderer <07523>. The murderer <07523> must surely be put to death <04191>.
17If <0518> he strikes <05221> him by throwing <03027> a stone <068> large enough that he could die <04191>, and he dies <04191>, he <01931> is a murderer <07523>. The murderer <07523> must surely be put to death <04191> <04191>.
18Or <0176> if he strikes <05221> him with a wooden <06086> hand <03027> weapon <03627> so that <0834> he could die <04191>, and he dies <04191>, he <01931> is a murderer <07523>. The murderer <07523> must surely be put to death <04191> <04191>.
19The avenger <01350> of blood <01818> himself <01931> must kill <04191> the murderer <07523>; when he meets <06293> him, he <01931> must kill <04191> him.
20“But if <0518> he strikes <07993> him out <07993> of hatred <08135> or <0176> throws <01920> something at him intentionally <06660> so that he dies <04191>,
21or <0176> with enmity <0342> he strikes <05221> him with his hand <03027> and he dies <04191>, the one who struck <05221> him must surely be put to death <04191> <04191>, for he <01931> is a murderer <07523>. The avenger <01350> of blood <01818> must kill <04191> the murderer <07523> when he meets <06293> him.
22“But if <0518> he strikes <01920> him suddenly <06621>, without <03808> enmity <0342>, or <0176> throws <07993> anything <03627> <03605> at <05921> him unintentionally <06660> <03808>,
23or <0176> with any <03605> stone <068> large enough that <0834> a man could die <04191>, without <03808> seeing <07200> him, and throws <05307> it at <05921> him <01931>, and he dies <04191>, even though he was not <03808> his enemy <0341> nor <03808> sought <01245> his harm <07451>,
24then the community <05712> must judge <08199> between <0996> the slayer <05221> and <0996> the avenger <01350> of blood <01818> according to <05921> these <0428> decisions <04941>.
25The community <05712> must deliver <05337> the slayer <07523> out of the hand <03027> of the avenger <01350> of blood <01818>, and the community <05712> must restore <07725> him to <0413> the town <05892> of refuge <04733> to which <0834> he fled <05127>, and he must live <03427> there <08033> until <05704> the death <04194> of the high <01419> priest <03548>, who <0834> was anointed <04886> with the consecrated <06944> oil <08081>.
26But if <0518> the slayer <07523> at any time <03318> goes outside <03318> the boundary <01366> of the town <05892> to which <0834> he had fled <05127>,
27and the avenger <01350> of blood <01818> finds <04672> him outside <02351> the borders <01366> of the town <05892> of refuge <04733>, and the avenger <01350> of blood <01818> kills <07523> the slayer <07523>, he will not <0369> be guilty of blood <01818>,
28because <03588> the slayer should have stayed <03427> in his town <05892> of refuge <04733> until <05704> the death <04194> of the high <01419> priest <03548>. But after <0310> the death <04194> of the high <01419> priest <03548>, the slayer <07523> may return <07725> to <0413> the land <0776> of his possessions <0272>.
29So these <0428> things must be a statutory <04941> ordinance <02708> for you throughout your generations <01755>, in all <03605> the places where you live <04186>.
30“Whoever <03605> kills <05221> any person <05315>, the murderer <07523> must be put to death <07523> by the testimony <06310> of witnesses <05707>; but one <0259> witness <05707> cannot <03808> testify <06030> against any person <05315> to cause him to be put to death <04191>.
31Moreover, you must not <03808> accept <03947> a ransom <03724> for the life <05315> of a murderer <07523> who <0834> is guilty <07563> of death <04191>; he must surely be put to death <04191> <04191>.
32And you must not <03808> accept <03947> a ransom <03724> for anyone who has fled <05127> to <0413> a town <05892> of refuge <04733>, to allow him to return <07725> home and live <03427> on his own land <0776> before <05704> the death <04194> of the high priest <03548>.
33“You must not <03808> pollute <02610> the land <0776> where <0834> you <0859> live, for <03588> blood <01818> defiles <02610> the land <0776>, and the land <0776> cannot <03808> be cleansed <03722> of the blood <01818> that <0834> is shed <08210> there, except <0518> <03588> by the blood <01818> of the person who shed <08210> it.
34Therefore do not <03808> defile <02930> the land <0776> that <0834> you <0859> will inhabit <03427>, in which <08432> I <0589> live <07931>, for <03588> I <0589> the Lord <03068> live <07931> among <08432> the Israelites <03478> <01121>.”