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レビ族の町
1次のことばも、ヨルダン川のほとりに広がるモアブ平原に野営している時、主がモーセに伝えたものです。 2「それぞれの所有地から、幾つかの町と放牧地をレビ族に与えるよう、人々に命じなさい。 3彼らにも住む場所と、牛や羊など家畜を飼う土地が必要となる。 4町の城壁から外側に向かって回り四百四十メートルの範囲を放牧地としなさい。 5そうすれば、町の中心から境界線までの距離は、東西南北とも八百八十メートルということになる。 6レビ族に与える町は、過って人を殺した者が逃げ込める、避難用の六つの町のほかに四十二だ。 7全部で四十八の町を、放牧地も含めて与えることになる。 8町は、大きい部族からは多く、小さい部族からは少しというふうに、全土の各地から選ぶ。」
避難用の町
9-10次もまた、主からモーセへの命令です。「カナンの地に入ったら、 11避難用の町を幾つか指定するように言っておきなさい。過って人を殺した者がそこへ逃げ込むためだ。 12そうすれば、被害者の家族も容易に復讐はできない。裁判で有罪と決まるまでは、たとえ人殺しでも死刑にはできない。 13-14そのような町をカナンに三つ、ヨルダン川の東側に三つ、全部で六つ選びなさい。 15イスラエル人だけでなく、外国人や旅行者でも、過って人を殺したときはいつでも、この町に逃げ込んでよい。
16しかし、鉄の道具で人を打ち殺したときは明らかに殺人罪だから、犯人は死刑だ。 17大きな石を使った場合も殺人罪で死刑。 18たとえ木製でも武器を使ったら、やはり殺人罪とみなされる。 19被害者のために復讐したければ、自分で手を下してもかまわない。犯人に出会ったら殺してもよい。 20憎しみに燃えて物を投げつけたり、待ち伏せして襲いかかったり、 21怒りに狂ってなぐりつけたりして人を殺した場合は、明らかに殺人罪だから、犯人を処刑してもかまわない。
22-23しかし、過失の場合はそうではない。わざと物を投げたのでも、怒って石を投げたのでもなく、投げた本人が人に当てようなどとは夢にも考えず、人を殺そうと思ったわけでもないのに、たまたまそれが当たって人が死んだ場合は、 24事故かどうかよく調べなさい。その結果によって、加害者を復讐者に引き渡すかどうかを決めるのだ。 25事故だとはっきりしたら、加害者を保護しなければならない。その時の大祭司が死ぬまで、彼は避難用の町に住むことになる。 26ただし、彼が勝手に避難用の町を出、 27町の外で復讐者に殺されたときは別である。それは殺人罪にはならない。 28大祭司が死ぬまで町の中にいなければならないのに、勝手に町を出たからだ。大祭司が死んだら、いつでも国へ帰れる。 29このおきては永遠に変わらない。
30殺人犯はみな死刑だが、証人が二人以上いる場合に限る。一人だけでは死刑にできない。 31殺人罪には代償はきかない。必ず死刑に処せられる。 32また、大祭司が死ぬ前に家へ帰りたいと保釈金を積んでも、避難用の町から出ることはできない。 33こうして、自分たちの土地が汚れるのを防ぐのだ。殺人で流された血は土地を汚す。それをきよめるには、殺人犯を死刑にするしかない。 34これから行く地は、わたしもいっしょに住むのだから、このようなことで汚したりしないよう、くれぐれも注意しなさい。」
The Levites Receive Their Towns
1On the plains of Moab, the Lord spoke to Moses. It was by the Jordan River across from Jericho. The Lord said, 2“Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in. The towns must come from the shares of land the people will have as their own. Also give the Levites the grasslands around the towns. 3Then the Levites will have towns to live in. They will also have grasslands for their cattle and all their other livestock.
4“The grasslands around each town you give them will go out to 1,500 feet from the town wall. 5Outside each town, the east side will measure 3,000 feet. So will the south side, the west side and the north side. The town must be in the center. And the Levites will own the grasslands around each town.
Cities to Run to for Safety
6“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities to go to for safety. A person who has killed someone can run to one of them. Also give the Levites 42 other towns. 7You must give the Levites a total of 48 towns. Also give them the grasslands around those towns. 8The towns you give the Levites must come from the land the Israelites have as their own. So the number you give from each tribe will depend on the size of that tribe’s share. Take many towns from a tribe that has many towns. But take only a few towns from a tribe that has only a few.”
9Then the Lord said to Moses, 10“Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘You will soon go across the Jordan River. You will enter Canaan. 11When you do, choose the cities to go to for safety. People who have killed someone by accident can run to one of those cities. 12They will be places of safety for them. People will be safe there from those who want to kill them. Then anyone charged with murder will not die before their case has been brought to the community court. 13Six towns will be the cities you can go to for safety. 14Three will be east of the Jordan River. The other three will be in Canaan. 15Those six towns will be places where the Israelites can go for safety. Outsiders living in Israel can also go to them for safety. So anyone who has killed another person by accident can run there.
16“ ‘Suppose a person uses an iron object to hit and kill someone. Then that person is a murderer and must be put to death. 17Or suppose a person is holding a stone that could kill. And they use it to hit and kill someone. Then that person is a murderer and must be put to death. 18Or suppose a person is holding a wooden object that could kill. And they use it to hit and kill someone. Then that person is a murderer and must be put to death. 19The dead person’s nearest male relative must kill the murderer. When he meets up with him, he must kill the murderer. 20What if a person makes evil plans against someone else? And what if that person pushes them so that they die? Or what if that person throws something at them so that they die? 21Or what if that person hits another person with a fist so that the other dies? Then the person who does any of those things must be put to death. That person is a murderer. The dead person’s nearest male relative must kill the murderer. When he meets up with him, he must kill the murderer.
22“ ‘But what if a person suddenly pushes someone else without being angry? Or what if that person throws something at someone else without meaning to? 23Or what if that person does not see the other person and drops a stone on them that kills them? He was not the dead person’s enemy. He did not mean to harm them. 24Then the court must decide between the person who did the act and the nearest male relative of the one who was killed. Here are the rules the court must follow. 25The court must provide a safe place for the person accused of murder. It must keep the one accused of murder safe from those who want to kill them. The court must send the accused person back to the city they ran to for safety. The accused person must stay there until the high priest dies. That priest has been anointed with holy oil.
26“ ‘But suppose the accused person goes outside that city. 27And suppose the dead person’s nearest male relative finds them outside the city. Then the relative can kill the accused person. The relative will not be guilty of murder. 28The accused person must stay in that city until the high priest dies. Only then may they return home.
29“ ‘This is what the law requires of you for all time to come. It will apply to you no matter where you live.
30“ ‘Suppose a person kills someone. Then that person must be put to death as a murderer. But do it only when there are witnesses who can tell what happened. Do not put anyone to death if only one witness tells what happened.
31“ ‘Do not accept payment for a murderer’s life. A murderer deserves to die. They must certainly be put to death.
32“ ‘Do not accept payment for anyone who has run to a city for safety. Do not let them buy their freedom to return home. They must not go back and live on their own land before the high priest dies.
33“ ‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Murder pollutes the land. Only one thing can pay to remove the pollution in the land where murder has been committed. The blood of the one who spilled another’s blood must be spilled. 34So do not make the land where you live “unclean,” because I live there too. I, the Lord, live among the Israelites.’ ”
