⁶Otherwise, in a rage the relative who has the authority to avenge the death will pursue him. If the place is too far away, the relative may catch up with him and take his life even though he didn’t deserve the death penalty, because in the past he never hated the person he killed. ⁷This is why I’m commanding you to set aside three cities for yourselves.

⁸The Lord your God may expand your country’s borders as he promised your ancestors with an oath. He may give you the whole land he promised to give them. ⁹He may do this because you faithfully obey all these commands I am now giving you—to love the Lord your God and follow his directions as long as you live. If this happens, you may add three more cities of refuge to these three. ¹⁰That way, innocent people won’t be killed in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you won’t be guilty of murder.

¹¹Suppose someone hates another person, waits in ambush for him, attacks him, takes his life, and runs to one of these cities. ¹²If someone does this, the leaders of your city must send for that person. They must take him from that city and hand him over to the relative who has the authority to avenge the death. He must die.

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