Numbers 35:22-28

22“But suppose you accidentally kill someone who wasn’t your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but didn’t mean to kill him.

23Or suppose you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you didn’t know the person was there, he wasn’t your enemy, and you weren’t trying to harm him.

24Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you ⌞are innocent⌟ or if the dead person’s relative can avenge the death.

25⌞If you are innocent,⌟ the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

26“But don’t go outside the city of refuge you fled to.

27If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder.

28Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the high priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death.