Numbers 35

Towns for the Levites

35While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H6160H4124H3383H3405H5592"Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands.H6680H1121H3478H5414H3881H5159H272H5892H3427H5414H3881H4054H5892H54393These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock.H5892H3427H4054H929H7399H24164The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet

from the town walls in every direction.H4054H5892H5414H3881H7023H5892H2351H505H520H54395Measure off 3,000 feet

outside the town walls in every direction—east, south, west, north—with the town at the center. This area will serve as the larger pastureland for the towns.H4058H2351H5892H6924H6285H505H520H5045H6285H505H520H3220H6285H505H520H6828H6285H505H520H5892H8432H4054H58926"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.H5892H5414H3881H8337H5892H4733H5414H7523H5127H5414H705H8147H58927In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites.H5892H5414H3881H705H8083H5892H40548These 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."H5892H5414H272H1121H3478H7227H7235H4592H4591H376H5414H5892H3881H6310H5159H5157

Cities of Refuge

9The LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H55910"Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,H1696H1121H3478H559H5674H3383H776H366711designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.H7136H5892H5892H4733H7523H5127H5221H5315H768412These 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.H5892H4733H1350H7523H4191H5975H6440H5712H494113Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves,H5892H5414H8337H5892H473314three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan.H5414H7969H5892H5676H3383H7969H5892H5414H776H3667H5892H473315These cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety.H8337H5892H4733H1121H3478H1616H8453H8432H5221H5315H7684H512716"But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed.H5221H3627H1270H4191H7523H7523H4191H419117Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.H5221H3027H68H4191H4191H7523H7523H4191H419118Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.H5221H3027H3627H6086H4191H4191H7523H7523H4191H419119The victim's nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.H1350H1818H4191H7523H6293H1931H419120So if someone hates another person and pushes him or throws a dangerous object at him and he dies, it is murder.H1920H8135H7993H6660H419121Or 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.H342H5221H3027H4191H5221H4191H4191H7523H1350H1818H4191H7523H629322"But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,H1920H6621H3808H342H7993H3627H666023or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies.H68H4191H7200H3808H5307H4191H341H1245H745124If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim's nearest relative.H5712H8199H5221H1350H1818H494125The 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.H5712H5337H7523H3027H1350H1818H5712H7725H5892H4733H5127H3427H4194H1419H3548H4886H6944H808126"But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge,H7523H3318H3318H1366H5892H4733H512727and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder.H1350H1818H4672H2351H1366H5892H4733H1350H1818H7523H7523H181828The 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.H3427H5892H4733H4194H1419H3548H310H4194H1419H3548H7523H7725H776H27229These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live.H2708H4941H1755H418630"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.H5221H5315H7523H7523H6310H5707H259H5707H6030H5315H419131Also, 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.H3947H3724H5315H7523H7563H4191H4191H419132And 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.H3947H3724H5127H5892H4733H7725H3427H776H4194H354833This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder

.H2610H776H1818H2610H776H776H3722H1818H8210H1818H821034You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the LORD, who lives among the people of Israel."H2930H776H3427H8432H7931H3068H7931H8432H1121H3478