Numbers, 35

1. The LORD gave these instructions to Moses on the plains of Moab beside the Jericho stretch of the Jordan:

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses on the Plains of Moab, near the Jordan by Jericho, and said:

2. "Tell the Israelites that out of their hereditary property they shall give the Levites cities for homes, as well as pasture lands around the cities.

2. 'Order the Israelites, from the heritage they possess, to give the Levites towns in which to live and pasture land round the towns. You will give these to the Levites.

3. The cities shall serve them to dwell in, and the pasture lands shall serve their herds and flocks and other animals.

3. The towns must be their homes and the surrounding pasture land must be for their cattle, their possessions and all their animals.

4. The pasture lands of the cities to be assigned the Levites shall extend a thousand cubits from the city walls in each direction.

4. The pasture land surrounding the towns which you give to the Levites will extend, from the walls of the towns, for a thousand cubits all round.

5. Thus you shall measure out two thousand cubits outside the city along each side-east, south, west and north-with the city lying in the center. This shall serve them as the pasture lands of their cities.

5. 'Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits to the east, two thousand cubits to the south, two thousand cubits to the west and two thousand cubits to the north, the town lying in the centre; such will be the pasture lands of these towns.

6. "Now these are the cities you shall give to the Levites: the six cities of asylum which you must establish as places where a homicide can take refuge, and in addition forty-two other cities--

6. The towns you give to the Levites will be six cities of refuge, ceded by you as sanctuary for those who commit manslaughter; and you will give forty-two towns in addition.

7. a total of forty-eight cities with their pasture lands to be assigned the Levites.

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

8. In assigning the cities from the property of the Israelites, take more from a larger group and fewer from a smaller one, so that each group will cede cities to the Levites in proportion to its own heritage."

8. Of the towns which you give from the Israelites' possessions, you will give more from those who have more, and less from those who have less. Each will give some of his towns to the Levites, in proportion to the heritage he himself has received.'

9. The LORD said to Moses,

9. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

10. "Tell the Israelites: When you go across the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

10. 'Speak to the Israelites and say: "Once you have crossed the Jordan into Canaan,

11. select for yourselves cities to serve as cities of asylum, where a homicide who has killed someone unintentionally may take refuge.

11. you will find towns, some of which you will make into cities of refuge where those who have accidentally committed manslaughter can take sanctuary.

12. These cities shall serve you as places of asylum from the avenger of blood, so that a homicide shall not be put to death unless he is first tried before the community.

12. These towns will afford you refuge from the avenger of blood, so that the killer will not be put to death before standing trial before the community.

13. Six cities of asylum shall you assign:

13. Of the towns you give, six will serve you as cities of refuge:

14. three beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan.

14. as cities of refuge, you will give three towns on the other side of the Jordan and will give three towns in Canaan.

15. These six cities of asylum shall serve not only the Israelites but all the resident or transient aliens among them, so that anyone who has killed another unintentionally may take refuge there.

15. These six towns will serve as refuge for the Israelites, for the foreigner and for the resident alien, where anyone who has accidentally killed someone can take sanctuary.

16. "If a man strikes another with an iron instrument and causes his death, he is a murderer and shall be put to death.

16. "But if he has struck the person with an iron object so as to cause death, he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death.

17. If a man strikes another with a death-dealing stone in his hand and causes his death, he is a murderer and shall be put to death.

17. If he has struck him with a stone meant for killing, and has killed him, he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death.

18. If a man strikes another with a death-dealing club in his hand and causes his death, he is a murderer and shall be put to death.

18. Or if he has struck him with a wooden instrument meant for killing, and has killed him, he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death.

19. The avenger of blood may execute the murderer, putting him to death on sight.

19. The avenger of blood will put the murderer to death. Whenever he finds him, he will put him to death.

20. "If a man pushes another out of hatred, or after lying in wait for him throws something at him, and causes his death,

20. "If the killer has maliciously manhandled his victim, or thrown some lethal missile to strike him down,

21. or if he strikes another out of enmity and causes his death, he shall be put to death as a murderer. The avenger of blood may execute the murderer on sight.

21. or out of enmity dealt him the death-blow with his fist, then he who struck the blow will be put to death; he is a murderer; the avenger of blood will put him to death whenever he finds him.

22. "However, if a man pushes another accidentally and not out of enmity, or if without lying in wait for him he throws some object at him,

22. If, however, he has manhandled his victim by chance, without malice, or thrown some missile at him not meaning to hit him

23. or without seeing him throws a death-dealing stone which strikes him and causes his death, although he was not his enemy nor seeking to harm him:

23. or, without seeing him, dropped on him a stone meant for killing and so killed him, so long as he bore him no malice and wished him no harm,

24. then the community, deciding the case between the slayer and the avenger of blood in accordance with these norms,

24. then the community will decide in accordance with these rules between the one who struck the blow and the avenger of blood,

25. shall free the homicide from the avenger of blood and shall remand him to the city of asylum where he took refuge; and he shall stay there until the death of the high priest who has been anointed with sacred oil.

25. and will save the killer from the clutches of the avenger of blood. They will send him back to the city of refuge where he had taken sanctuary, and there he will stay until the death of the high priest who has been anointed with the holy oil.

26. If the homicide of his own accord leaves the bounds of the city of asylum where he has taken refuge,

26. Should the killer leave the bounds of the city of refuge in which he has taken sanctuary

27. and the avenger of blood finds him beyond these bounds and kills him, the avenger incurs no bloodguilt;

27. and the avenger of blood encounter him outside the bounds of his city of refuge, the avenger of blood may kill him without fear of reprisal;

28. the homicide was bound to stay in his city of asylum until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may the homicide return to his own district.

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 piece of property.

29. "These shall be norms for you and all your descendants, wherever you live, for rendering judgment.

29. Such will be the legal rule for you and your descendants, wherever you may live.

30. "Whenever someone kills another, the evidence of witnesses is required for the execution of the murderer. The evidence of a single witness is not sufficient for putting a person to death.

30. "In any case of homicide, the evidence of witnesses will determine whether the killer must be put to death; but a single witness is not enough to sustain a capital charge.

31. "You shall not accept indemnity in place of the life of a murderer who deserves the death penalty; he must be put to death.

31. You will not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer condemned to death; he must die.

32. Nor shall you accept indemnity to allow a refugee to leave his city of asylum and again dwell elsewhere in the land before the death of the high priest.

32. Nor will you accept a ransom for anyone who, having taken sanctuary in his city or refuge, wishes to come back and live at home before the death of the high priest.

33. You shall not desecrate the land where you live. Since bloodshed desecrates the land, the land can have no atonement for the blood shed on it except through the blood of him who shed it.

33. Do not profane the country you live in. Blood profanes the country and, for the country, the only expiation for the blood shed in it is the blood of the man who shed it.

34. Do not defile the land in which you live and in the midst of which I dwell; for I am the LORD who dwells in the midst of the Israelites."

34. So do not defile the country which you live in and where I live; for I, Yahweh, live among the Israelites." '