New Living Translation

King James Bible

1While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,

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

2“Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands.

2Command 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.

3These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock.

3And 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.

4The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet from the town walls in every direction.

4And 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.

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.

5And 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“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.

6And 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.

7In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites.

7So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.

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

8And 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.

9The LORD said to Moses,

9And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

10“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

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

11designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.

11Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

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.

12And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

13Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves,

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

14three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan.

14Ye 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.

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.

15These 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 someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed.

16And 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.

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.

17And 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.

18Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.

18Or 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.

19The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.

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

20So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder.

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

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.

21Or 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“But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,

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

23or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies.

23Or 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:

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:

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

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.

25And 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“But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge,

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

27and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder.

27And 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:

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.

28Because 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.

29These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live.

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

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.

30Whoso 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.

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.

31Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

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.

32And 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.

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.

33So 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.

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.”

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

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.