²^qyou shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess. ³You shall measure the distances¹ and divide into three parts the area of the land that the Lord your God gives you as a possession, so that any manslayer can flee to them.

⁴“This is the provision for ^rthe manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past—

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Footnotes

1Hebrew road

Cross references

q Ex. 21:13; Num. 35:10, 14; Josh. 20:2, 8
rch. 4:42; Num. 35:15; Josh. 20:3, 5

In other versions

NIVNew International Version (2011)

then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

you are to set apart three cities for yourselves within the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. You are to determine the distances and divide the land the Lord your God is granting you as an inheritance into three regions, so that anyone who commits manslaughter can flee to these cities.

“Here is the law concerning a case of someone who kills a person and flees there to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally without previously hating him:

NLTNew Living Translation

Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Survey the territory, and divide the land the Lord your God is giving you into three districts, with one of these cities in each district. Then anyone who has killed someone can flee to one of the cities of refuge for safety.

“If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land that Yahweh your God is giving to you to take possession of it. You shall prepare the roads for yourselves, and you shall divide the regions of your land into thirds that Yahweh your God gives you as a possession, so that it will be available for any manslayer to flee there.

“Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live there who has killed his neighbor unintentionally, and he did not hate him previously.

KJV 1900King James Version

Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it. Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

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