Levitical Cities

1The LORD told Moses in the wilderness of Moab, beside the Jordan River neara Jericho, 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. 3The towns are to be reserved for their dwelling places and the grazing landsb are to be reserved for their cattle, livestock, and all their animals. 4The grazing lands that you are to reserve for use by the descendants of Levi are to extend 1,000 cubitsc from the walls of the town. 5You are to measure from outside the wall of the town on the east side 2,000 cubits,d on the south side 2,000 cubits,e on the west side 2,000 cubits,f and on the north side 2,000 cubits,g with the town placed at the center. This reserved area is to serve as grazingh land for their towns. 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. 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. 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.”

Appointment of Cities of Refuge

9Then the LORD told Moses, 10“Tell the Israelis that when they have crossed the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, 11they are to designate some towns of refuge so that anyone who kills someone inadvertently may flee there. 12They are to serve as cities of refuge from a blood avengeri in order to keep the inadvertent killer from dying until he has stood trial in the presence of the community. 13You are to set aside six towns 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, 15that is, placesj of refuge for the Israelis, the resident alien,k and any travelers among them. Anyone who kills a person inadvertently may flee there.”

Exceptions to Eligibility

16“Whoever uses an iron implement to kill someone is to be adjudgedl a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death. 17Furthermore, whoever uses a stone implement to kill someone is to be adjudgedm a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death. 18Also, whoever uses a wooden implement to kill someone with it is to be adjudgedn a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death. 19The blood avenger himself is to execute the murderer. When he meets him, the blood avengero is to put him to death. 20If the killerp shoved his victimq out of hatred, or hurled somethingr at him while waiting in ambush so that 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.”

Case Examples for Eligibility

22“But if he pushed him suddenly without hatred, or if he hurled somethings in his direction without waiting in ambush, 23or if he hit himt with a stone carelesslyu so that he was fatally injured, though he isn’t his enemy and he wasn’t seeking to commit evil against him, 24then the community is to judge between the inadvertent killer and the blood avenger, following these ordinances. 25The community is to releasev 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. 26But if the inadvertent killer leaves the town of refuge where he had fled 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. 28The inadvertent killerw 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. 29These are to be the statutes and ordinances for you throughout all your generations, regardless of where you live.”x

Capital Cases Require Multiple Witnesses

30“Every murderer of a human beingy is to be executed only according to testimonyz given by multiple witnesses. A single witness is not to result in a death sentence.aa 31You are to receive no ransom for the lifebb of a killer who is guilty of murder; instead, he is to die. 32You are not to receive payment of acc 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. 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. 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.”