International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1The LORD told Moses in the wilderness of Moab, beside the Jordan River near Jericho,

1The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

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.

2“Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities.

3The towns are to be reserved for their dwelling places and the grazing lands are to be reserved for their cattle, livestock, and all their animals.

3The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts.

4The grazing lands that you are to reserve for use by the descendants of Levi are to extend 1,000 cubits from the walls of the town.

4The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.

5You are to measure from outside the wall of the town on the east side 2,000 cubits, on the south side 2,000 cubits, on the west side 2,000 cubits, and on the north side 2,000 cubits, with the town placed at the center. This reserved area is to serve as grazing land for their towns.

5And you shall 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, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.

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.

6“The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.

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.

7All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands.

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."

8And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.”

9Then the LORD told Moses,

9And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10"Tell the Israelis that when they have crossed the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,

10“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11they are to designate some towns of refuge so that anyone who kills someone inadvertently may flee there.

11then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.

12They are to serve as cities of refuge from a blood avenger in order to keep the inadvertent killer from dying until he has stood trial in the presence of the community.

12The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

13You are to set aside six towns of refuge.

13And the cities that you give shall be your six cities 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,

14You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.

15that is, places of refuge for the Israelis, the resident alien, and any travelers among them. Anyone who kills a person inadvertently may flee there."

15These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.

16"Whoever uses an iron implement to kill someone is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to 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 be put to death.

17Furthermore, whoever uses a stone implement to kill someone is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death.

17And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.

18Also, whoever uses a wooden implement to kill someone with it is to be adjudged a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death.

18Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.

19The blood avenger himself is to execute the murderer. When he meets him, the blood avenger is to put him to death.

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

20If the killer shoved his victim out of hatred, or hurled something at him while waiting in ambush so that he died,

20And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, 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."

21or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22"But if he pushed him suddenly without hatred, or if he hurled something in his direction without waiting in ambush,

22“But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait

23or if he hit him with a stone carelessly so that he was fatally injured, though he isn't his enemy and he wasn't seeking to commit evil against him,

23or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,

24then the community is to judge between the inadvertent killer and the blood avenger, following these ordinances.

24then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.

25The community is to release 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.

25And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

26But if the inadvertent killer leaves the town of refuge where he had fled

26But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he 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.

27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood.

28The inadvertent killer 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.

28For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.

29These are to be the statutes and ordinances for you throughout all your generations, regardless of where you live."

29And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

30"Every murderer of a human being is to be executed only according to testimony given by multiple witnesses. A single witness is not to result in a death sentence.

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

31You are to receive no ransom for the life of a killer who is guilty of murder; instead, he is to die.

31Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death.

32You are not to receive payment of a 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.

32And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land 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.

33You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed 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."

34You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.