Numbers 35:9–34

⁹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁰Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, ^hWhen ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; ¹¹then ⁱye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. 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. ¹³And of these cities which ye shall give ^ksix cities shall ye have for refuge. ^14lYe 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 six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and ^mfor the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. ¹⁶ⁿAnd 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. 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 he smite him with a hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. ^19oThe revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. ²⁰But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him ^pby laying of wait, that he die; 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. ²²But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any ^qthing ^rwithout laying of wait, 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: ²⁴then ^sthe congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: 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 ^tthe high priest, ^uwhich was anointed with the holy oil. ²⁶But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 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: 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. ²⁹So these things shall be for ^wa statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ³⁰Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the ^xmouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 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 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. ³³So ye shall not ^ypollute the land wherein ye are: for blood ^yit defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but ^zby the blood of him that shed it. ^34aDefile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for ^bI the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.

XXXVI.