Six Cities of Refuge
(Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Deuteronomy 19:1–14)

1  וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (And spoke) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) אֶל־ (to) יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ (Joshua), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 2  דַּבֵּ֛ר (Speak) אֶל־ (to) בְּנֵ֥י (the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (of Israel), לֵאמֹ֑ר (saying): תְּנ֤וּ (Appoint) לָכֶם֙ (for yourselves) אֶת־ (-) עָרֵ֣י (cities) הַמִּקְלָ֔ט (of refuge), אֲשֶׁר־ (of which) דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי (I spoke) אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם (to you⁺) בְּיַד־ (by the hand of) מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (Moses), 3  לָנ֥וּס (for the fleeing) שָׁ֙מָּה֙ (there), רוֹצֵ֔חַ (of the manslayer) מַכֵּה־ (who kills) נֶ֥פֶשׁ (a person) בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה (in error) בִּבְלִי־ (without) דָ֑עַת (knowledge). וְהָי֤וּ (And they shall be) לָכֶם֙ (unto you⁺) לְמִקְלָ֔ט (a refuge) מִגֹּאֵ֖ל (from the avenger) הַדָּֽם׃ (of the blood). 4  וְנָ֞ס (And he flees) אֶל־ (to) אַחַ֣ת׀ (one) מֵהֶעָרִ֣ים (of the cities) הָאֵ֗לֶּה (these), וְעָמַד֙ (and stands) פֶּ֚תַח (at the entrance) שַׁ֣עַר (of the gate) הָעִ֔יר (of the city), וְדִבֶּ֛ר (and declares) בְּאָזְנֵ֛י (in the ears) זִקְנֵ֥י־ (of the elders) הָעִֽיר (of city) הַהִ֖יא (that) אֶת־ (-) דְּבָרָ֑יו (his case), וְאָסְפ֨וּ (and they shall take) אֹת֤וֹ (him) הָעִ֙ירָה֙ (into the city) אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם (as one of them) וְנָתְנוּ־ (and give) ל֥וֹ (to him) מָק֖וֹם (a place), וְיָשַׁ֥ב (that he may dwell) עִמָּֽם׃ (among them).

5  וְכִ֨י (And if) יִרְדֹּ֜ף (pursues) גֹּאֵ֤ל (the avenger) הַדָּם֙ (of the blood) אַֽחֲרָ֔יו (after him), וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יַסְגִּ֥רוּ (they shall shut up) אֶת־ (-) הָרֹצֵ֖חַ (the manslayer) בְּיָד֑וֹ (into his hand), כִּ֤י (because) בִבְלִי־ (without) דַ֙עַת֙ (knowing) הִכָּ֣ה (he struck) אֶת־ (-) רֵעֵ֔הוּ (his neighbor), וְלֹֽא־ (not) שֹׂנֵ֥א (did hate) ה֛וּא (he) ל֖וֹ (him) מִתְּמ֥וֹל (from yesterday) שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃ (and the day before yesterday). 6  וְיָשַׁ֣ב׀ (And he shall dwell) בָּעִ֣יר (in the city) הַהִ֗יא (that) עַד־ (until) עָמְד֞וֹ (he stands) לִפְנֵ֤י (before the face of) הָֽעֵדָה֙ (the congregation) לַמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט (for judgment), עַד־ (and until) מוֹת֙ (the death) הַכֹּהֵ֣ן (of the priest) הַגָּד֔וֹל (high) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (who) יִהְיֶ֖ה (is) בַּיָּמִ֣ים (in days) הָהֵ֑ם (those). אָ֣ז׀ (Then) יָשׁ֣וּב (may return) הָרוֹצֵ֗חַ (the manslayer) וּבָ֤א (and come) אֶל־ (to) עִירוֹ֙ (his own city) וְאֶל־ (and) בֵּית֔וֹ (his own house), אֶל־ (to) הָעִ֖יר (the city) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) נָ֥ס (he fled) מִשָּֽׁם׃ (from there).

7  וַיַּקְדִּ֜שׁוּ (And they appointed) אֶת־ (-) קֶ֤דֶשׁ (Kedesh) בַּגָּלִיל֙ (in Galilee) בְּהַ֣ר (in the hill country) נַפְתָּלִ֔י (of Naphtali), וְאֶת־ (and) שְׁכֶ֖ם (Shechem) בְּהַ֣ר (in the hill country) אֶפְרָ֑יִם (of Ephraim), וְאֶת־ (and) קִרְיַ֥ת (Kiriath-) אַרְבַּ֛ע (arba), הִ֥יא (that is) חֶבְר֖וֹן (Hebron)) בְּהַ֥ר (in the hill country) יְהוּדָֽה׃ (of Judah).

8  וּמֵעֵ֜בֶר (And on the other side) לְיַרְדֵּ֤ן (of the Jordan) יְרִיחוֹ֙ (by Jericho) מִזְרָ֔חָה (eastward), נָתְנ֞וּ (they assigned) אֶת־ (-) בֶּ֧צֶר (Bezer) בַּמִּדְבָּ֛ר (in the wilderness) בַּמִּישֹׁ֖ר (on the plain) מִמַּטֵּ֣ה (from the tribe) רְאוּבֵ֑ן (of Reuben), וְאֶת־ (and) רָאמֹ֤ת (Ramoth) בַּגִּלְעָד֙ (in Gilead) מִמַּטֵּה־ (from the tribe) גָ֔ד (of Gad), וְאֶת־ (and) גָּלוֹן (Golan) בַּבָּשָׁ֖ן (in Bashan) מִמַּטֵּ֥ה (from the tribe) מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ (of Manasseh).

9  אֵ֣לֶּה (These) הָיוּ֩ (were) עָרֵ֨י (the cities) הַמּֽוּעָדָ֜ה (appointed) לְכֹ֣ל׀ (for all) בְּנֵ֣י (the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (of Israel), וְלַגֵּר֙ (and for the sojourner) הַגָּ֣ר (who is sojourning) בְּתוֹכָ֔ם (in their midst) לָנ֣וּס (for the fleeing) שָׁ֔מָּה (there), כָּל־ (of anyone) מַכֵּה־ (striking) נֶ֖פֶשׁ (a person) בִּשְׁגָגָ֑ה (in error), וְלֹ֣א (that not) יָמ֗וּת (he would die) בְּיַד֙ (by the hand) גֹּאֵ֣ל (of the avenger) הַדָּ֔ם (of the blood), עַד־ (until) עָמְד֖וֹ (his standing) לִפְנֵ֥י (before the face of) הָעֵדָֽה׃פ (the congregation).