Numbers, 35

1. And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying,

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan opposite Jericho. He said:

2. 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.

2. "Tell the people of Israel to give to the Levites, out of the property they possess, towns in which to live and pasture land around the towns.

3. 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.

3. They will live in the towns and the surrounding pasture land is to be for their cattle and all their animals.

4. 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.

4. The pasture land surrounding the towns that you give to the Levites shall extend from the walls of the towns 500 yards in each direction,

5. 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.

5. so that there is a square area measuring 1,000 yards on each side, with the town in the middle.

6. 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.

6. The towns you give to the Levites will be the six towns of refuge to which a person can escape who causes another's death; and you are to give them forty-two more towns.

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

7. Altogether you will give forty-eight towns to the Levites, towns together with their pasture lands.

8. 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.

8. You will take these towns from the property of the sons of Israel, taking more towns from the tribes who own more, and less from tribes who own less. Every tribe will give towns to the Levites in proportion to the land they themselves have received."

9. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

9. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

10. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

10. "Say this to the people of Israel: When you cross the Jordan River and reach the land of Canaan,

11. 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.

11. you are to select towns which you will make into towns of refuge to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may escape.

12. 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.

12. In these towns they will be safe from the dead person's relative who wants revenge, so that the killer may not die without being brought to trial before the community.

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

13. The towns you give will serve you as six cities of refuge:

14. 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.

14. the three that you give beyond the Jordan and the three that you give in the land of Canaan are to be cities of refuge.

15. 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.

15. These six towns will be a refuge for the people of Israel as well as for the stranger and the foreigner among you, where anyone who has killed accidentally may find safety.

16. 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.

16.

17. 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.

17.

18. 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.

18. But if the killer has struck someone with an iron object, or with a stone or wooden instrument and has killed that person, he is a murderer and must be put to death.

19. The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

19. The dead person's nearest relative must put the murderer to death. When he finds him he must kill him.

20. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

20. If a person hates someone and causes his death by pushing him down or by throwing something at him

21. 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.

21. or by hitting him with his fist, he is a murderer and is to be put to death. The dead person's nearest relative must put him to death when he finds him.

22. But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

22. If, however, a person has accidentally killed someone whom he does not hate, either by pushing him down or throwing him down or throwing something at him

23. 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:

23. or, without looking, has thrown a stone that kills someone,

24. Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

24. then the community shall judge in favor of the one who caused death rather than in favor of the dead person's relative who seeks revenge.

25. 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.

25. They will send the person who killed someone accidentally back to the city of refuge where he went for safety, and there he must stay until the death of the high priest.

26. But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

26. If the killer should leave the city of refuge to which he had gone for safety

27. 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:

27. and the dead person's nearest relative meets him outside the city of refuge, the relative may kill him without fear of punishment

28. 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.

28. since the killer should stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest is he free to go back to his own home.

29. So these [things] shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

29. These regulations are for you and your descendants wherever you may be.

30. 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.

30. In case of murder, the accused may be found guilty and put to death only on the evidence of two or more witnesses; the evidence of only one witness is not enough to uphold an accusation of murder.

31. 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.

31. You shall not accept payment to save the life of a murderer condemned to death; he must die.

32. 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.

32. Nor are you to accept payment from anyone who wishes to leave his city of refuge to return and live in his own home before the death of the high priest.

33. 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.

33. You must not defile the land you live in. Murder defiles the land and there is no other atonement for the land where blood has been shed than through the blood of the murderer.

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

34. You must not defile the land you live in, the land in which I live; for I, Yahweh, live among the people of Israel."