Miji Kwa Ajili Ya Walawi
135:1 Hes 22:1Bwana akamwambia Mose katika nchi tambarare ya Moabu, kando ya Mto Yordani kuvukia Yeriko, 235:2 Law 25:32-34; Yos 14:3; 21:1-42; Hes 18:20-24; Kum 18:1-2; 1Nya 6:64; Eze 48:8“Waagize Waisraeli kuwapa Walawi miji ya kuishi kutoka urithi ambao Waisraeli wataumiliki. Wape maeneo ya malisho kuzunguka hiyo miji. 335:3 Kum 18:6; Yos 14:4; 21:2Kisha watakuwa na miji ya kuishi na maeneo ya malisho kwa ajili ya ngʼombe zao, mbuzi, kondoo na mifugo yao mingine yote.
4“Maeneo ya malisho kuzunguka miji hiyo ambayo mtawapa Walawi yataenea mita 450 kutoka kwenye ukuta wa miji. 535:5 Yos 3:4; Law 25:34; 2Nya 11:14; 13:9; 23:2; 31:19Nje ya mji, pima mita 900 upande wa mashariki, upande wa kusini mita 900, upande wa magharibi mita 900, na upande wa kaskazini mita 900, na mji utakuwa katikati. Eneo hili litakuwa lao kwa ajili ya malisho.
Miji Ya Makimbilio
(Kumbukumbu 19:1-13; Yoshua 20:1-9)
635:6 Yos 21:13; Kum 4:41; Za 9:9; 62:7-8; Isa 4:6“Miji sita mtakayowapa Walawi itakuwa ya makimbilio, ambayo mtu anayemuua mwenzake aweza kukimbilia humo. Zaidi ya hiyo, wapeni miji mingine arobaini na miwili. 735:7 Yos 21:41Kwa jumla inawapasa kuwapa Walawi miji arobaini na minane, pamoja na maeneo ya malisho yao. 835:8 Hes 26:54; 33:54; Yos 21:3; Kut 16:18Miji ambayo mtawapa Walawi kutoka nchi ambayo Waisraeli wanamiliki itatolewa kwa uwiano wa urithi wa kila kabila. Chukua miji mingi kutoka lile kabila lenye miji mingi, lakini uchukue miji michache kutoka kwa kabila lile lenye miji michache.”
9Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose: 1035:10 Hes 33:51; Kum 9:1; Yos 1:2; Kum 19:2; Yos 20:2“Sema na Waisraeli, uwaambie: ‘Mtakapovuka Yordani kuingia Kanaani, 1135:11 Kut 21:13chagueni baadhi ya miji iwe miji yenu ya makimbilio, ambayo mtu ambaye ameua mwenzake bila kukusudia aweza kukimbilia humo. 1235:12 Kum 19:6; Yos 20:3; 2Sam 14:11Itakuwa mahali pa kukimbilia kutoka mlipiza kisasi, ili kwamba mtu aliyeshtakiwa kwa mauaji asife kabla ya kujitetea mbele ya mkutano. 13Miji hii sita mtakayoitoa itakuwa miji yenu ya makimbilio. 1435:14 Kum 4:41; 2Kor 8:13-14Mtatoa miji mitatu ngʼambo hii ya Yordani na miji mingine mitatu upande wa Kanaani kama miji ya makimbilio. 1535:15 Hes 15:16Miji hii sita itakuwa mahali pa makimbilio kwa ajili ya Waisraeli, wageni na watu wengine wanaoishi katikati yenu, ili kwamba mtu yeyote ambaye ameua mtu mwingine pasipo kukusudia aweze kukimbilia humo.
1635:16 Kut 21:12; Law 24:17; Kum 19:11-12“ ‘Kama mtu akimpiga mwenzake kwa chuma naye mtu huyo akafa, mtu huyo ni muuaji; muuaji sharti atauawa. 17Au kama mtu analo jiwe mkononi mwake ambalo laweza kuua, naye akampiga mwenzake akafa, yeye ni muuaji; muuaji huyo sharti atauawa. 18Au kama mtu ana chombo cha mti mkononi mwake ambacho chaweza kuua, naye akampiga mwenzake akafa, yeye ni muuaji; muuaji huyo sharti atauawa. 19Mlipiza kisasi cha damu atamuua muuaji; wakati akikutana naye, atamuua. 2035:20 Kut 21:14; Mwa 4:8; 2Sam 3:37; 1Fal 2:31; Lk 4:29; 1Sam 18:10; Za 10:7-10Ikiwa mtu ana chuki ya siku nyingi na mwenzake akamsukuma au akamtupia kitu kwa kukusudia naye akafa, 2135:21 Kut 21:14au ikiwa katika uadui akampiga ngumi naye akafa, mtu yule sharti atauawa; yeye ni muuaji. Mlipiza kisasi cha damu atamuua muuaji atakapokutana naye.
2235:22 Kut 21:13“ ‘Lakini kama mtu akimsukuma mwenziwe ghafula pasipo chuki, au kumtupia kitu pasipo kukusudia, 23au, pasipo kumwona, akimwangushia jiwe ambalo laweza kumuua naye akafa, basi kwa kuwa hakuwa adui yake naye hakukusudia kumuumiza, 2435:24 Yos 20:6kusanyiko lazima liamue kati yake na mlipiza kisasi wa damu kufuatana na sheria hizi. 2535:25 Kut 28:41; 29:9; Efe 1:7; Law 4:3; 21:10Kusanyiko ni lazima limlinde yule anayeshtakiwa kuua kutoka kwa mlipiza kisasi wa damu, na kumrudisha katika mji wa makimbilio alikokuwa amekimbilia. Lazima akae humo mpaka atakapokufa kuhani mkuu ambaye alikuwa amepakwa mafuta matakatifu.
26“ ‘Lakini kama mshtakiwa atatoka nje ya mipaka ya mji wa makimbilio ambao amekimbilia, 2735:27 Kut 22:2na mlipiza kisasi wa damu akamkuta nje ya mji, mlipiza kisasi wa damu anaweza kumuua mshtakiwa huyo bila kuwa na hatia ya kuua. 28Mshtakiwa lazima akae katika mji wake wa makimbilio mpaka atakapokufa kuhani mkuu; atarudi tu kwenye mali yake baada ya kifo cha kuhani mkuu.
2935:29 Hes 27:11; 10:8; Kut 12:20“ ‘Hizi ndizo kanuni za sheria zitakazohitajiwa kwenu na katika vizazi vyenu vijavyo, popote mtakapoishi.
3035:30 Kum 17:6; 19:15; Mt 18:16; Yn 7:51; 2Kor 13:1; 1Tim 5:19; Ebr 10:28; Ufu 11:3“ ‘Yeyote anayeua mtu atauawa kama muuaji ikiwa tu kuna ushuhuda wa mashahidi. Lakini hakuna mtu atakayeuawa kwa ushuhuda wa shahidi mmoja tu.
3135:31 Kut 21:30; Ay 6:22; Za 49:8; Mit 13:8“ ‘Usikubali fidia yoyote ya kuokoa uhai wa muuaji ambaye anastahili kufa. Mtu huyo hakika lazima auawe.
3235:32 Mdo 4:12; Gal 2:21“ ‘Usikubali fidia ya mtu yeyote ambaye amekimbilia katika mji wa makimbilio na kumruhusu kurudi kuishi katika nchi yake kabla ya kifo cha kuhani mkuu.
3335:33 Mwa 4:10; Law 18:25; Kum 21:23; Za 106:38“ ‘Msiinajisi nchi mnayoishi. Umwagaji damu hunajisi nchi, na upatanisho hauwezekani kufanyika katika nchi ambayo damu imemwagwa, isipokuwa tu kwa damu ya yule aliyeimwaga damu. 3435:34 Law 18:24-25; Kut 29:45; Kum 21:23; Hes 5:3; Za 76:2; Isa 8:18; Hos 9:3; 2Kor 6:16Msiinajisi nchi mnayoishi, ambayo nami ninakaa, kwa kuwa Mimi, Bwana, ninakaa katikati ya Waisraeli.’ ”
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.’ ”
