Numbers 35:6-34

6The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the 1six cities of refuge, which you shall provide for the one who commits manslaughter to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7The total number of the cities which you are to give to the Levites shall be 2forty-eight cities, 3together with their pasture lands. 84As for the cities which you shall give them from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger, and you shall take fewer from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his inheritance which he possesses.”

9Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10“5Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 116then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your 7cities of refuge, so that the one who commits manslaughter by 8killing a person 9unintentionally may flee there. 1210The cities shall 11serve you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who commits manslaughter does not die until he stands before the congregation for 12trial. 13So the cities which you are to provide shall be six cities of refuge for you. 14You 13shall provide three cities across the Jordan, and three cities 14in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. 15These six cities shall be a refuge for the sons of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreign resident among them; so that anyone who 15kills a person 16unintentionally may flee there.

16‘17But if he struck him with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 17And if he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he did die, he is a murderer; the murderer 18must be put to death. 18Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he did die, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 19The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he himself shall put him to death when he meets him. 20Now 19if he pushed him in hatred, or he threw something at him 2021with malicious intent, and as a result he died, 21or if he struck him with his hand with hostility, and as a result he died, the one who struck him must be put to death; he is a murderer. The blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22‘22But if he pushed him suddenly, without hostility, or threw any object at him without 23malicious intent, 23or had any 24deadly stone, and without looking he dropped it on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor was he seeking 25to harm him, 24then 26the congregation shall judge between the one who fatally struck the victim and the blood avenger in accordance with these ordinances. 25And the congregation shall save the one who committed manslaughter from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall return 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 at any time 27he goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he flees, 27and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills 28him, he 29will not be guilty of bloodshed, 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 one who committed manslaughter may return to the land of his property.

29‘These things shall be a 30statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

30‘31If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the 32testimony of witnesses, but 33no person shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 31Moreover, you shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is 34condemned to death, but he must be put to death. 32And you shall not accept a ransom for one who has fled to his city of refuge, so that he may return to live in the land 35before the death of the priest. 3336So you shall not defile the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except 37by the blood of the one who shed it. 34So you shall not 38defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which 39I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”