THE FOURTH BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
N U M B E R S
Numbers 35 ©
The number of the cities which the children of Israel were to give to the Levites, together with their suburbs, v. 1, etc. Among which there would be six cities of refuge for such as had unawares or unwittingly killed any person, 6. Laws of murder and manslaughter, 16. A prohibition of taking redemption money to save a guilty or willful murder, or, for the return of any who legally had betaken himself to one of the cities of refuge, unto their own abode , before the appointed time, 31.
AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
Commanda the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the 1inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites 2suburbs for the cities round about them.
And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side 3two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the 4west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
And among theb cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six 5cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the 6manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have 7many ye shall give 8many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 9Whenc ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
Then ye shall 10appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any 11person at 12unawares.
And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the 13avenger; that the manslayer 14die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
Ye shall give threed cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of 15Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
And if he 16smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall 17surely be 18put to death.
And if he smite him with throwing a 19stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
The revenger of blood himself shall 20slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
Bute if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall 21slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.
But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, 22seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his 23harm:
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
And the congregation shall deliver the 24slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the 25death of the high priest, which was anointed with the 26holy oil.
But if the slayer shall 27at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be 28guilty of blood:
Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall 29return into the land of his possession.
So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Whoso killeth 30any person, the murderer 31shall be put to death byf the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person 32to cause him to die.
Moreover ye shall take no 33satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is 34guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
And ye shall take no satisfaction 35for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the 36land, until the death of the priest.
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I 37the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.