Levitbyerne
1Mens israelitterne stadig lå i lejr på Moabs sletter langs Jordanfloden over for Jeriko, sagde Herren til Moses:
2„Sig til folket, at de skal overdrage nogle af deres byer med omliggende græsmarker til levitterne. 3Der skal levitterne bo og deres husdyr græsse. 4I skal afmåle et område rundt om byerne, som skal være levitternes græsmarker. Afmål 450 m fra bymuren udad, 5og 900 m langs hver af de fire sider af byen, mod øst, mod syd, mod vest og mod nord.
6-7Levitterne skal i alt tildeles 48 byer med omliggende græsmarker. Heraf skal de seks være tilflugtsbyer, hvor personer, der uforsætligt er kommet til at slå et andet menneske ihjel, kan søge asyl. 8Levitbyerne skal ligge jævnt fordelt ud over hele landet, således at de store stammer skal afstå mange byer til levitterne, og de mindre stammer færre.”
Tilflugtsbyerne
9Herren sagde videre til Moses: 10-11„Sig til folket: Når I kommer ind i landet, skal I udpege nogle byer til at være tilflugtsbyer. En person, som er skyldig i uagtsomt manddrab, kan flygte til sådan en by, 12så vedkommende undgår at blive dræbt af blodhævnere, endnu inden der er afsagt dom i sagen. 13-14Der skal ligge tre tilflugtsbyer i Kana’ans land og tre i området øst for Jordanfloden. 15Både israelitterne, de fremmede iblandt jer og folk på gennemrejse skal kunne søge tilflugt i disse byer.
16-18Hvis en person slår et andet menneske ihjel ved at gøre brug af våben af jern, sten eller træ, er der ikke tale om uagtsomt manddrab; det må formodes at være mord, og derfor skal den skyldige lide døden: 19Den myrdedes nærmeste slægtning har ansvaret for at hævne mordet, og han skal slå morderen ihjel. 20-21Det samme gælder, hvis en person af had til en anden forsætligt skubber til ham, kaster noget imod ham eller slår ham, så han dør.
22-23Men hvis der er tale om et uheld, hvor en person uforvarende kommer til at skubbe til en anden eller ramme ham med en sten eller noget andet, så han dør, 24skal domstolen afgøre, hvorvidt der er tale om uagtsomt manddrab eller mord, og om den skyldige skal udleveres til blodhævneren eller ej. 25Hvis domstolen så har afsagt kendelse om uagtsomt manddrab, skal drabsmanden beskyttes mod blodhævneren og bringes tilbage til den tilflugtsby, han var flygtet til. Der skal han blive boende, indtil den fungerende ypperstepræst er død.
26Hvis drabsmanden forlader tilflugtsbyen, 27har blodhævneren ret til at slå ham ihjel uden at gøre sig skyldig i mord, 28for manden burde være blevet i tilflugtsbyen indtil ypperstepræstens død. Først efter ypperstepræstens død kan han vende tilbage til sit hjem. 29Denne lov skal gælde fra slægt til slægt i det land, hvor I kommer til at bo.
30Enhver morder skal henrettes, medmindre der er mangel på vidneudsagn. Der skal mindst to vidneudsagn til for at dømme en person til døden. 31Men hvis han dømmes skyldig i mord, skal han henrettes. Han kan ikke frigives mod, at der betales løsepenge for ham. 32En flygtning, der bor i en tilflugtsby, kan heller ikke løskøbes, så han kan forlade tilflugtsbyen og vende tilbage til sit hjem før ypperstepræstens død. 33-34I må ikke gøre det land, som I skal ind og bo i, urent, for jeg, Herren, bor i jeres midte. Hvis et menneske udgyder et andet menneskes blod, bliver landet urent, og der kan kun skaffes soning ved at den skyldige dør.”
1And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 2Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them. 3And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts. 4And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. 5And ye shall measure from without 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; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. 6And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.35.6 to them…: Heb. above them ye shall give 7So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs. 8And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.35.8 he…: Heb. they inherit
9¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 11Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.35.11 at…: Heb. by error 12And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. 13And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. 14Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. 15These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. 16And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.35.17 with…: Heb. with a stone of the hand 18Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; 21Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. 22But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, 23Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: 24Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: 25And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. 26But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 27And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:35.27 he…: Heb. no blood shall be to him 28Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. 29So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 31Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.35.31 guilty…: Heb. faulty to die 32And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 33So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.35.33 the land cannot…: Heb. there can be no expiation for the land 34Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.
