Numbers 35:1–8

Cities for the Levites

35The Lord again spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho: ^z2“Command the Israelites to give cities out of their hereditary property for the Levites to live in and pastureland around the cities. ^a3The cities will be for them to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their herds, flocks, and all their other animals. ⁴The pasturelands of the cities you are to give the Levites will extend from the city wall 500 yards ^bon every side. ⁵Measure 1,000 yards ^coutside the city for the east side, 1,000 yards ^dfor the south side, 1,000 yards ^efor the west side, and 1,000 yards ^ffor the north side, with the city in the center. This will belong to them as pasturelands for the cities.

⁶“The cities you give the Levites will include six cities of refuge, ^gwhich you must provide so that the one who kills someone may flee there; in addition to these, give 42 other cities. ^h7The total number of cities you give the Levites will be 48, along with their pasturelands. ⁱ⁸Of the cities that you give from the Israelites’ territory, you should take more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. ^jEach tribe is to give some of its cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance it receives.”