Numbers 35:6–15

Cities of Refuge

35:6–34Ref—Dt 4:41–43; 19:1–14; Jos 20:1–9

⁶“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.^c In addition, give them forty-two other towns. ⁷In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. ⁸The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”^d

⁹Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{e 11}select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^f accidentally^g may flee. ¹²They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^h so that anyone accused of murderⁱ may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^{j 13}These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^{k 14}Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.