| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, | 1Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho: |
| 2"Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. | 2“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. |
| 3Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals. | 3The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock. |
| 4"The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall. | 4The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side. |
| 5Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns. | 5You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities. |
| 6"Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. | 6Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities. |
| 7In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. | 7The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands. |
| 8The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few." | 8The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.” |
| 9Then the LORD said to Moses: | 9Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 10"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, | 10“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, |
| 11select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. | 11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. |
| 12They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly. | 12You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly. |
| 13These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. | 13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. |
| 14Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. | 14Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge. |
| 15These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there. | 15These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there. |
| 16"'If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. | 16If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. |
| 17Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. | 17Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. |
| 18Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. | 18If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. |
| 19The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death. | 19The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him. |
| 20If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die | 20Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him, |
| 21or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet. | 21or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him. |
| 22"'But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally | 22But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally, |
| 23or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, | 23or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him, |
| 24the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. | 24then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. |
| 25The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. | 25The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. |
| 26"'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled | 26But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled |
| 27and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. | 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed |
| 28The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property. | 28because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns. |
| 29"'This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live. | 29This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live. |
| 30"'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. | 30If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness. |
| 31"'Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death. | 31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death. |
| 32"'Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest. | 32Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. |
| 33"'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. | 33Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. |
| 34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.'" | 34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.” |
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