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.’ ”
Towns for the Levites
1On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 2“Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. 3Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.
4“The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits35:4 That is, about 1,500 feet or about 450 meters from the town wall. 5Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits35:5 That is, about 3,000 feet or about 900 meters on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.
Cities of Refuge
6“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. 8The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”
9Then the Lord said to Moses: 10“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 11select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. 12They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly. 13These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. 14Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. 15These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.
16“ ‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 17Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 18Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 19The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death. 20If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die 21or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.
22“ ‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally 23or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, 24the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26“ ‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled 27and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. 28The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.
29“ ‘This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.
30“ ‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
31“ ‘Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.
32“ ‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.
33“ ‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’ ”
