International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1The LORD told Moses in the wilderness of Moab, beside the Jordan River near Jericho,

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

2"Instruct the Israelis to set aside a portion of their inheritance for the descendants of Levi to live in, along with grazing land surrounding their towns.

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 towns are to be reserved for their dwelling places and the grazing lands are to be reserved for their cattle, livestock, and all their animals.

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 grazing lands that you are to reserve for use by the descendants of Levi are to extend 1,000 cubits from the walls of the town.

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 to measure from outside the wall of the town on the east side 2,000 cubits, on the south side 2,000 cubits, on the west side 2,000 cubits, and on the north side 2,000 cubits, with the town placed at the center. This reserved area is to serve as grazing land for their towns.

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.

6You are to set aside six towns of refuge from the towns that you will be giving to the descendants of Levi, where someone who kills a human being may run for shelter. In addition, give them 42 other towns.

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 towns that you are to give to the descendants of Levi is to be 48 towns, including grazing lands surrounding these towns.

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

8You are to apportion the towns that you will be giving the Israelis according to the relative size of the tribe. Take a larger portion from those larger in number and a lesser portion from those fewer in number. Each is to set aside towns for the descendants of Levi proportional to the size of their inheritance that they receive."

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 told Moses,

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10"Tell the Israelis that when they have crossed the Jordan River 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,

11they are to designate some towns of refuge so that anyone who kills someone inadvertently 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.

12They are to serve as cities of refuge from a blood avenger in order to keep the inadvertent killer from dying until he has stood trial in the presence of the community.

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.

13You are to set aside six towns of refuge.

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

14Appoint three towns this side of the Jordan River and three towns in the land of Canaan to serve as the towns 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.

15that is, places of refuge for the Israelis, the resident alien, and any travelers among them. Anyone who kills a person inadvertently 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.

16"Whoever uses an iron implement to kill someone is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to 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.

17Furthermore, whoever uses a stone implement to kill someone is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to 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.

18Also, whoever uses a wooden implement to kill someone with it is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to 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 blood avenger himself is to execute the murderer. When he meets him, the blood avenger is to put him to death.

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

20If the killer shoved his victim out of hatred, or hurled something at him while waiting in ambush so that he died,

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

21or if he struck him with his hand out of hatred so that he died, then the killer is certainly to be put to death for murder. The avenger of blood is to put him to death when he meets 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.

22"But if he pushed him suddenly without hatred, or if he hurled something in his direction without waiting in ambush,

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

23or if he hit him with a stone carelessly so that he was fatally injured, though he isn't his enemy and he wasn't seeking to commit evil against 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 community is to judge between the inadvertent killer and the blood avenger, following these ordinances.

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

25The community is to release the inadvertent killer from the blood avenger and return him to the town of refuge where he had fled. He is to live there until the High Priest dies, who will have anointed him with 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 inadvertent killer leaves the town of refuge where he had 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 blood avenger finds him outside the town of refuge where he had fled and kills him, the blood avenger is not to be found guilty of murder.

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

28The inadvertent killer is to live in the town of refuge until the High Priest dies. After the death of the High Priest, the inadvertent killer is to return to the land of his inheritance.

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.

29These are to be the statutes and ordinances for you throughout all your generations, regardless of where you live."

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

30"Every murderer of a human being is to be executed only according to testimony given by multiple witnesses. A single witness is not to result in a death sentence.

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 to receive no ransom for the life of a killer who is guilty of murder; instead, he is to die.

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.

32You are not to receive payment of a ransom for someone who had fled to a town of refuge but then left to live in his homeland 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.

33You are not to pollute the land where you live, because blood defiles the land, and the land cannot atone for blood that has been spilled on it, except through the blood of the one who spilled 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.

34You are not to defile the land where you will be living, because I'm living among you. I am the LORD, who lives in Israel."

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.'"

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org