The Cities Assigned to the Levites
1 In the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites that from the property they receive they must give the Levites some cities to live in and pasture land around the cities. 3 These cities will belong to the Levites, and they will live there. The pasture land will be for their cattle and all their other animals. 4 The pasture land is to extend outward from the city walls five hundred yards in each direction, 5 so that there is a square area measuring one thousand yards on each side, with the city in the middle. 6 You are to give the Levites six cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally. In addition, give them forty-two other cities 7 with their pasture land, making a total of forty-eight. 8 The number of Levite cities in each tribe is to be determined according to the size of its territory.”
The Cities of Refuge
(Deuteronomy 19.1-13Joshua 20.1-9)9 The Lord told Moses 10 to say to the people of Israel: “When you cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan, 11 you are to choose cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally. 12 There you will be safe from the dead person's relative who seeks revenge. No one accused of manslaughter is to be put to death without a public trial. 13 Choose six cities, 14 three east of the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan. 15 These will serve as cities of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners who are temporary or permanent residents. Anyone who kills someone accidentally can escape to one of them.
16-18 “If, however, any of you use a weapon of iron or stone or wood to kill someone, you are guilty of murder and are to be put to death. 19 The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.
20 “If you hate someone and kill him by pushing him down or by throwing something at him 21 or by striking him with your fist, you are guilty of murder and are to be put to death. The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.
22 “But suppose you accidentally kill someone you do not hate, whether by pushing him down or by throwing something at him. 23 Or suppose that, without looking, you throw a stone that kills someone whom you did not intend to hurt and who was not your enemy. 24 In such cases the community shall judge in your favor and not in favor of the dead person's relative who is seeking revenge. 25 You are guilty only of manslaughter, and the community is to rescue you from the dead person's relative, and they are to return you to the city of refuge to which you had escaped. You must live there until the death of the man who is then High Priest. 26 If you leave the city of refuge to which you have escaped 27 and if the dead person's relative finds you and kills you, this act of revenge is not murder. 28 Any of you guilty of manslaughter must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the High Priest, but after that you may return home. 29 These rules apply to you and your descendants wherever you may live.
30 “Those accused of murder may be found guilty and put to death only on the evidence of two or more witnesses; the evidence of one witness is not sufficient to support an accusation of murder. 31 Murderers must be put to death. They cannot escape this penalty by the payment of money. 32 If they have fled to a city of refuge, do not allow them to make a payment in order to return home before the death of the High Priest. 33 If you did this, you would defile the land where you are living. Murder defiles the land, and except by the death of the murderer there is no way to perform the ritual of purification for the land where someone has been murdered. 34 Do not defile the land where you are living, because I am the Lord and I live among the people of Israel.”
1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the plaine of Moab by Iorden, toward Iericho, saying, 2 Commande ye children of Israel, that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritace of their possession, cities to dwell in: yee shall giue also vnto the Leuites the suburbes of the cities round about them. 3 So they shall haue the cities to dwell in, and their suburbes shall be for their cattell, and for their substance, and for all their beasts. 4 And the suburbes of the cities, which ye shall giue vnto the Leuites, from the wall of the citie outward, shalbe a thousand cubites round about. 5 And yee shall measure without the citie of the Eastside, two thousand cubites: and of the Southside, two thousand cubites: and of the Westside, two thousand cubites: and of ye Northside, two thousand cubites: and the citie shalbe in ye middes. this shalbe the measure of the suburbes of their cities. 6 And of the cities which yee shall giue vnto the Leuites, there shalbe sixe cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint, that he which killeth, may flee thither: and to them yee shall adde two and fourtie cities more. 7 All the cities which yee shall giue to the Leuites, shalbe eight and fourtie cities: them shall ye giue with their suburbes. 8 And concerning the cities which yee shall giue, of the possession of the children of Israel: of many ye shall take more, and of few ye shall take lesse: euery one shall giue of his cities vnto the Leuites, according to his inheritance, which hee inheriteth. 9 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 10 Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, When ye be come ouer Iorden into the land of Canaan, 11 Ye shall appoint you cities, to bee cities of refuge for you, that the slayer, which slayeth any person vnwares, may flee thither. 12 And these cities shalbe for you a refuge from the auenger, that he which killeth, die not, vntill he stand before the Congregation in iudgement. 13 And of the cities which ye shall giue, sixe cities shall ye haue for refuge. 14 Ye shall appoint three on this side Iorden, and ye shall appoint three cities in the lande of Canaan which shalbe cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shalbe a refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that dwelleth among you, that euery one which killeth any person vnwares, may flee thither. 16 And if one smite another with an instrument of yron that hee die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 17 Also if hee smite him by casting a stone, wherewith hee may be slaine, and he die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may be slaine, if he die, he is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 19 The reuenger of the blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20 But if hee thrust him of hate, or hurle at him by laying of wait, that he die, 21 Or smite him through enimitie with his hand, that he die, he that smote him shall die ye death: for hee is a murtherer: the reuenger of the blood shall slay the murtherer when he meeteth him. 22 But if he pusshed him vnaduisedly, and not of hatred, or cast vpon him any thing, without laying of waite, 23 Or any stone (whereby he might be slaine) and sawe him not, or caused it to fall vpon him, and he die, and was not his enemie, neither sought him any harme, 24 Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood according to these lawes. 25 And the Congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hande of the auenger of blood, and the Congregation shall restore him vnto the citie of his refuge, whither hee was fled: and hee shall abide there vnto the death of the hie Priest, which is anointed with the holy oyle. 26 But if the slayer come without the borders of the citie of his refuge, whither he was fled, 27 And the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the citie of his refuge, and the reueger of blood slay ye murtherer, he shalbe giltles, 28 Because he should haue remained in the citie of his refuge, vntill the death of the hie Priest: and after the death of the hie Priest, the slayer shall returne vnto the land of his possession. 29 So these thinges shall be a lawe of iudgement vnto you, throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whosoeuer killeth any person, the Iudge shall slay the murtherer, through witnesses: but one witnesse shall not testifie against a person to cause him to die. 31 Moreouer ye shall take no recompense for the life of the murtherer, which is worthy to die: but he shalbe put to death. 32 Also ye shall take no recompense for him that is fled to the citie of his refuge, that he should come againe, and dwell in the lande, before the death of the hie Priest. 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye shall dwell: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be clensed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 Defile not therefore the lande which yee shall inhabite, For I dwell in the middes thereof: for I the Lord dwel among the children of Israel.