New King James Version

King James Bible

1And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying:

1And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

2“Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities.

2Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

3They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals.

3And 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.

4The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.

4And 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.

5And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.

5And ye shall measure from without 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; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

6“Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities.

6And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

7So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land.

7So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.

8And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.”

8And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; 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.

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

9And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

10“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

11then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.

11Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

12They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.

12And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

13And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge.

13And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

14You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge.

14Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

15These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

15These 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.

16‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

16And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18Or 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.

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

19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

20If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies,

20But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

21or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

21Or 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 slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

22‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait,

22But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

23or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,

23Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

24then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

24Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

25So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

25And the congregation shall deliver the slayer 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 death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

26But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,

26But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,

27And 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 guilty of blood:

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 may return to the land of his possession.

28Because 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 return into the land of his possession.

29‘And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

29So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.

30Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

31Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.

31Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

32And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

32And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

33So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.

33So 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.

34Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.’ ”

34Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.