Holman Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1The LORD again spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:"

1Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,

2Command the Israelites to give cities out of their hereditary property for the Levites to live in and pastureland around the cities.

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 will be for them to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their herds, flocks, and all their other animals.

3"The 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.

4The pasturelands of the cities you are to give the Levites will extend from the city wall 500 yards on every side.

4"The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits around.

5Measure 1,000 yards outside the city for the east side, 1,000 yards for the south side, 1,000 yards for the west side, and 1,000 yards for the north side, with the city in the center. This will belong to them as pasturelands for the cities."

5"You 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 you give the Levites will include six cities of refuge, which you must provide so that the one who kills someone may flee there; in addition to these, give 42 other cities.

6"The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.

7The total number of cities you give the Levites will be 48, along with their pasturelands.

7"All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands.

8Of the cities that you give from the Israelites' territory, you should take more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. Each tribe is to give some of its cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance it receives."

8"As 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."

9The LORD said to Moses, "

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

10"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

11then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there.

12You will have the cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who kills someone will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

12'The 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 trial.

13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

13'The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

14Select three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to be cities of refuge.

14'You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge.

15These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or temporary resident among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there."

15'These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

16If anyone strikes a person with an iron object and death results, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death.

16'But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17If a man has in his hand a stone capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must be put to death.

17If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18If a man has in his hand a wooden object capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must be put to death.

18Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19The avenger of blood himself is to kill the murderer; when he finds him, he is to kill him.

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

20Likewise, if anyone in hatred pushes a person or throws an object at him with malicious intent and he dies,

20If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died,

21or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood is to kill the murderer when he finds him."

21or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22But if anyone suddenly pushes a person without hostility or throws any object at him without malicious intent

22'But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait,

23or without looking drops a stone that could kill a person and he dies, but he was not his enemy and wasn't trying to harm him,

23or with any deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury,

24the assembly is to judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

24then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances.

25The assembly is to protect the one who kills someone from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge he fled to, and he must live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil."

25'The congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore 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.

26If the one who kills someone ever goes outside the border of the city of refuge he fled to,

26'But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee,

27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the border of his city of refuge and kills him, the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed,

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

28for the one who killed a person was supposed to live in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may the one who has killed a person return to the land he possesses.

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 shall return to the land of his possession.

29These instructions will be a statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations wherever you live."

29'These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death based on the word of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of one witness.

30'If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of killing someone; he must be put to death.

31'Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.

32Neither should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to his city of refuge, allowing him to return and live in the land before the death of the high priest."

32'You shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest.

33Do not defile the land where you are, for bloodshed defiles the land, and there can be no atonement for the land because of the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the person who shed it.

33'So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.

34Do not make the land unclean where you live and where I reside; for I, Yahweh, reside among the Israelites."

34'You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.'"

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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