Eight and forty cities for the Levites with their suburbs, and measure thereof.

1 ¶ And the LORDº spakeºª unto² Mosesº in the plainsº of Moabº by² Jordanº [near] Jericho,º saying,ºª 2 Commandºª² the childrenº of Israel,º that they giveºª unto the Levitesº of the inheritanceº² of their possessionº citiesº to dwell in;ºª and ye shall giveºª [also] unto the Levitesº suburbsº for the citiesº round aboutº them. 3 And the citiesº shall they have² to dwell in;ºª and the suburbsº of them shall be² for their cattle,º and for their goods,º and for all² their beasts.º 4 And the suburbsº of the cities,º which² ye shall giveºª unto the Levites,º [shall reach] from the wallº² of the cityº and outwardº a thousandº cubitsº round about.º 5 And ye shall measureºª from withoutº² the cityº on² the eastº sideº two thousandº cubits,º and on the southº sideº two thousandº cubits,º and on the westº sideº two thousandº cubits,º and on the northº sideº two thousandº cubits;º and the cityº [shall be] in the midst:º this² shall be² to them the suburbsº of the cities.º

Six of them are to be cities of refuge.

6 And among² the citiesº which² ye shall giveºª unto the Levitesº [there shall be]² sixº citiesº for refuge,º which² ye shall appointºª for the manslayer,ºª that he may fleeºª thither:² and to² them ye shall addºª fortyº and twoº cities.º 7 [So] all² the citiesº which² ye shall giveºª to the Levitesº [shall be] fortyº and eightº cities:º them [shall ye give] with² their suburbs.º 8 And the citiesº which² ye shall giveºª [shall be] of the possessionº² of the childrenº of Israel:º from²² [them that have] manyº ye shall give many;ºª but from²² [them that have] fewº ye shall give few:ºª every oneº shall giveºª of his citiesº² unto the Levitesº according¹ to² his inheritanceº which² he inheriteth.ºª

The laws of murder.

9 ¶ And the LORDº spakeºª unto² Moses,º saying,ºª 10 Speakºª unto² the childrenº of Israel,º and sayºª unto² them, When² ye² be come overºª² Jordanº into the landº of Canaan;º 11 Then ye shall appointºª you citiesº to be² citiesº of refugeº for you; that the slayerºª may fleeºª thither,² which killethºª any personº at unawares.º 12 And they shall be² unto you citiesº for refugeº from the avenger;ºª² that the manslayerºª dieºª not,² until² he standºª beforeº the congregationº in judgment.º 13 And of these citiesº which² ye shall giveºª sixº citiesº shall ye have² for refuge.º 14 Ye shall giveºª² threeº citiesº on this sideº² Jordan,º and threeº citiesº shall ye giveºª in the landº of Canaan,º [which] shall be² citiesº of refuge.º 15 These² sixº citiesº shall be² a refuge,º [both] for the childrenº of Israel,º and for the stranger,º and for the sojournerº amongº them: that every one² that killethºª any personº unawaresº may fleeºª thither.² 16 And if² he smiteºª him with an instrumentº of iron,º so that he die,ºª he² [is] a murderer:ºª the murdererºª shall surely¹ª be put to death.ºª 17 And if² he smiteºª him with throwingº a stone,º wherewith² he may die,ºª and he die,ºª he² [is] a murderer:ºª the murdererºª shall surely¹ª be put to death.ºª 18 Or² [if] he smiteºª him with an handº weaponº of wood,º wherewith² he may die,ºª and he die,ºª he² [is] a murderer:ºª the murdererºª shall surely¹ª be put to death.ºª 19 The revengerºª of bloodº himself² shall slayºª² the murderer:ºª when he meetethºª him, heº shall slayºª him. 20 But if² he thrustºª him of hatred,º or² hurlºª at² him by laying of wait,º that he die;ºª 21 Or² in enmityº smiteºª him with his hand,º that he die:ºª he that smoteºª [him] shall surely¹ª be put to death;ºª [for] he² [is] a murderer:ºª the revengerºª of bloodº shall slayºª² the murderer,ºª when he meetethºª him. 22 But if² he thrustºª him suddenlyº withoutº enmity,º or² have castºª upon² him any thingº² without² laying of wait,º 23 Or² with any² stone,º wherewith² a man may die,ºª seeingºª [him] not,º and castºª [it] upon² him, that he die,ºª and [was] not² his enemy,ºª neither² soughtºª his harm:º 24 Then the congregationº shall judgeºª between² the slayerºª and the revengerºª of bloodº according to² these² judgments:º 25 And the congregationº shall deliverºª² the slayerºª out of the handº² of the revengerºª of blood,º and the congregationº shall restoreºª him to² the cityº of his refuge,º whither²² he was fled:ºª and he shall abideºª in it unto² the deathº of the highº priest,º which² was anointedºª with the holyº oil.º 26 But if² the slayerºª shall at any time¹ª come¹ª withoutº² the borderº of the cityº of his refuge,º whither²² he was fled;ºª 27 And the revengerºª of bloodº findºª him withoutº² the bordersº of the cityº of his refuge,º and the revengerºª of bloodº killºª² the slayer;ºª he shall not² be guilty of blood:º 28 Because² he should have remainedºª in the cityº of his refugeº until² the deathº of the highº priest:º but afterº the deathº of the highº priestº the slayerºª shall returnºª into² the landº of his possession.º 29 So these² [things] shall be² for a statuteº of judgmentº unto you throughout your generationsº in all² your dwellings.º 30 Whoso² killethºª any person,º² the murdererºª shall be put to deathºª by the mouthº of witnesses:º but oneº witnessº shall not² testifyºª against any personº [to cause him] to die.ºª

No satisfaction for murder.

31 Moreover ye shall takeºª no² satisfactionº for the lifeº of a murderer,ºª which² [is] guiltyº of death:ºª but² he shall be surely¹ª put to death.ºª 32 And ye shall takeºª no² satisfactionº for him that is fledºª to² the cityº of his refuge,º that he should come againºª to dwellºª in the land,º until² the deathº of the priest.º 33 So ye shall not² polluteºª² the landº wherein² ye² [are]: for² bloodº it² defilethºª² the land:º and the landº cannot² be cleansedºª of the bloodº that² is shedºª therein, but²² by the bloodº of him that shedºª it. 34 Defileºª not² therefore² the landº which² ye² shall inhabit,ºª whereinº² I² dwell:ºª for² I² the LORDº dwellºª amongº the childrenº of Israel.º