Numbers, 35

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.'

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.

9. Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:

9. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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,

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:

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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;

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:

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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