Numbers 35
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1On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,1The LORD told Moses in the wilderness of Moab, beside the Jordan River near 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"Instruct the Israelis to set aside a portion of their inheritance for the descendants of Levi to live in, along with grazing land surrounding their towns.
3Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.3The towns are to be reserved for their dwelling places and the grazing lands are to be reserved for their cattle, livestock, and all their animals.
4"The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall.4The grazing lands that you are to reserve for use by the descendants of Levi are to extend 1,000 cubits from the walls of the town.
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 to measure from outside the wall of the town on the east side 2,000 cubits, on the south side 2,000 cubits, on the west side 2,000 cubits, and on the north side 2,000 cubits, with the town placed at the center. This reserved area is to serve as grazing land for their towns.
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.6You are to set aside six towns of refuge from the towns that you will be giving to the descendants of Levi, where someone who kills a human being may run for shelter. In addition, give them 42 other towns.
7In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands.7The total number of towns that you are to give to the descendants of Levi is to be 48 towns, including grazing lands surrounding these towns.
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."8You are to apportion the towns that you will be giving the Israelis according to the relative size of the tribe. Take a larger portion from those larger in number and a lesser portion from those fewer in number. Each is to set aside towns for the descendants of Levi proportional to the size of their inheritance that they receive."
9Then the LORD said to Moses:9Then the LORD told Moses,
10"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,10"Tell the Israelis that when they have crossed the Jordan River 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.11they are to designate some towns of refuge so that anyone who kills someone inadvertently 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.12They are to serve as cities of refuge from a blood avenger in order to keep the inadvertent killer from dying until he has stood trial in the presence of the community.
13These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.13You are to set aside six towns of refuge.
14Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.14Appoint three towns this side of the Jordan River and three towns in the land of Canaan to serve as the towns 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.15that is, places of refuge for the Israelis, the resident alien, and any travelers among them. Anyone who kills a person inadvertently 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.16"Whoever uses an iron implement to kill someone is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to 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.17Furthermore, whoever uses a stone implement to kill someone is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to 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.18Also, whoever uses a wooden implement to kill someone with it is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to 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 blood avenger himself is to execute the murderer. When he meets him, the blood avenger is to put him to death.
20If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die20If the killer shoved his victim out of hatred, or hurled something at him while waiting in ambush so that he died,
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 he struck him with his hand out of hatred so that he died, then the killer is certainly to be put to death for murder. The avenger of blood is to put him to death when he meets him."
22"'But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally22"But if he pushed him suddenly without hatred, or if he hurled something in his direction without waiting in ambush,
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 if he hit him with a stone carelessly so that he was fatally injured, though he isn't his enemy and he wasn't seeking to commit evil against him,
24the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations.24then the community is to judge between the inadvertent killer and the blood avenger, following 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 community is to release the inadvertent killer from the blood avenger and return him to the town of refuge where he had fled. He is to live there until the High Priest dies, who will have anointed him with holy oil.
26"'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled26But if the inadvertent killer leaves the town of refuge where he had 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 blood avenger finds him outside the town of refuge where he had fled and kills him, the blood avenger is not to be found guilty of murder.
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.28The inadvertent killer is to live in the town of refuge until the High Priest dies. After the death of the High Priest, the inadvertent killer is to return to the land of his inheritance.
29"'This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.29These are to be the statutes and ordinances for you throughout all your generations, regardless of where 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.30"Every murderer of a human being is to be executed only according to testimony given by multiple witnesses. A single witness is not to result in a death sentence.
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 to receive no ransom for the life of a killer who is guilty of murder; instead, he is to die.
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.32You are not to receive payment of a ransom for someone who had fled to a town of refuge but then left to live in his homeland 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.33You are not to pollute the land where you live, because blood defiles the land, and the land cannot atone for blood that has been spilled on it, except through the blood of the one who spilled it.
34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.'"34You are not to defile the land where you will be living, because I'm living among you. I am the LORD, who lives in Israel."
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Numbers 34
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