Numbers 35:1-18 ▼

1 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,

2 “Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities.

3 And the cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

4 “And the pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward one thousand cubits around.

5 You shall also measure outside 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, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.

6 And the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.

7 All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands.

8 Now as for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger, and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”

9 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11 then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has struck down any person unintentionally may flee there.

12 And the cities shall be for you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

13 And the cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

14 You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge.

15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel and for the sojourner and for the foreign resident among them; that anyone who strikes a person down unintentionally may flee there.

16 ‘But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 And if he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.