| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying: | 1Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho: |
| 2“Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities. | 2“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. |
| 3They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals. | 3The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock. |
| 4The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. | 4The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side. |
| 5And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities. | 5You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities. |
| 6“Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities. | 6Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities. |
| 7So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land. | 7The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands. |
| 8And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.” | 8The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.” |
| 9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, | 9Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 10“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, | 10“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, |
| 11then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. | 11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. |
| 12They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment. | 12You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly. |
| 13And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. | 13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. |
| 14You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge. | 14Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge. |
| 15These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there. | 15These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there. |
| 16‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. | 16If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. |
| 17And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. | 17Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. |
| 18Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. | 18If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. |
| 19The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. | 19The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him. |
| 20If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies, | 20Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him, |
| 21or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. | 21or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him. |
| 22‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait, | 22But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally, |
| 23or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm, | 23or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him, |
| 24then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. | 24then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. |
| 25So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. | 25The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. |
| 26But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, | 26But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled |
| 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, | 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will 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 manslayer may return to the land of his possession. | 28because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns. |
| 29‘And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. | 29This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live. |
| 30Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. | 30If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness. |
| 31Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. | 31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death. |
| 32And you shall take 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 priest. | 32Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. |
| 33So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. | 33Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. |
| 34Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.’ ” | 34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.” |
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