Numbers 35:9–28

⁹Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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

^11athen you shall select for yourselves cities to be your ^bcities of refuge, that the manslayer who has ¹killed any person ^cunintentionally may flee there.

¹²‘^aThe cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for ¹trial.

¹³‘The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

¹⁴‘You ^ashall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities ¹in 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 alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who ¹kills a person ^aunintentionally may flee there.

¹⁶‘^aBut 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‘If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer ^ashall surely be put to death.

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

¹⁹‘The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.

²⁰‘^aIf he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him ^blying in wait and as a result he died,

²¹or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

²²‘^aBut if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait,

²³or with any ¹deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury,

²⁴then ^athe congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances.

²⁵‘The congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

²⁶‘But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee,

²⁷and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood

²⁸because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession.