Numbers 35
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1On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,1While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,
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 people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands.
3Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.3These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock.
4"The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall.4The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet from the town walls in every direction.
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.5Measure 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.
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.6“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.
7In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands.7In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites.
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."8These 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.” Cities of Refuge
9Then the LORD said to Moses:9The LORD said to Moses,
10"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,10“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “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 of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.
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.12These 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.
13These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.13Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves,
14Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.14three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan.
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 cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety.
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“But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed.
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 someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must 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.18Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must 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 victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.
20If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die20So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder.
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 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.
22"'But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally22“But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,
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 accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies.
24the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations.24If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim’s nearest relative:
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 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.
26"'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled26“But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge,
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 finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered 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 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.
29"'This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.29These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may 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“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.
31"'Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.31Also, 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.
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.32And 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.
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.33This 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.
34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.'"34You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the LORD, who lives among the people of Israel.”
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Numbers 34
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