Numbers 35:1-15

11Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 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 shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

4“The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city 2outward a thousand cubits around. 5You 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. 6The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the 3six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be 4forty-eight cities, 5together with their pasture lands. 86As 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 spoke to Moses, saying, 10“7Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 118then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your 9cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has 10killed any person 11unintentionally may flee there. 1212The 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 13trial. 13The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge. 14You 14shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities 15in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. 15These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who 16kills a person 17unintentionally may flee there.