Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:

1Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,

2“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.

2"Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities.

3The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.

3"The cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

4The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side.

4"The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits around.

5You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities.

5"You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.

6Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.

6"The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.

7The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands.

7"All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands.

8The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.”

8"As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits."

9Then the LORD said to Moses,

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

10"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

11then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there.

12You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

12'The 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 trial.

13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

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

14Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.

14'You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge.

15These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

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 kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

16If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

16'But 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.

17Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

17If 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 shall surely be put to death.

18If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

18Or 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.

19The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.

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

20Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him,

20If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died,

21or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.

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.

22But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,

22'But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait,

23or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,

23or with any deadly 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 the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

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

25The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

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.

26But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled

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

27and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed

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 the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns.

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.

29This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live.

29'These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.

30'If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.

31'Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.

32Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.

32'You shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest.

33Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.

33'So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.

34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”

34'You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.'"

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