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.’ ”
Lewifo Nkurow
1Bere a Israelfo bɔɔ atenase wɔ Yordan ho, Moab tataw so wɔ Yeriko akyi no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, 2“Ka kyerɛ Israelfo no na wɔmfa wɔn agyapade no mu bi a ɛyɛ nkurow ne ɛho mmoa adidibea mma Lewifo no. 3Nkurow no mu na wɔbɛtena na wɔn anantwi, wɔn nguan ne wɔn mmoa a aka no nso akɔ adidi wɔ adidibea hɔ.
4“Wɔn mmoa adidibea no kɛse befi kurow no afasu ho a ne fa biara trɛw yɛ anammɔn apem ne ahannum. 5Munsusuw anammɔn mpensa mfi kurow no afasu no ho wɔ nʼafanan nyinaa. Eyi bɛyɛ mmoa adidibea kɛse ama nkurow no.
Guankɔbea Nkuropɔn
6“Nkurow a mode bɛma Lewifo no no mu asia bɛyɛ guankɔbea nkuropɔn, baabi a obi a wafom akum ɔfoforo no, betumi aguan akɔ. Momfa nkurow aduanan abien nka ho mma wɔn. 7Ne nyinaa bɛyɛ nkurow aduanan awotwe ne ho mmoa adidibea. 8Saa nkurow yi befi Israelfo no agyapade mu. Mmusuakuw no mu akɛse bɛma Lewifo no nkurow bebree na mmusuakuw nketewa no ama kakraa bi. Abusuakuw biara bɛma sɛnea nʼagyapade kɛse te.”
9Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, 10“Ka kyerɛ Israelfo no se, ‘Sɛ mutwa Yordan du Kanaan a, 11mompaw nkurow bi mfa nyɛ guankɔbea nkurow a, obiara a ɔbɛfom akum onipa no betumi aguan akɔ hɔ. 12Saa nkurow yi bɛyɛ guankɔbea a ebegye no afi owufo no abusuafo a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔtɔ owufo no wu so were no nsa mu; na ɛnsɛ sɛ wokum owudifo no gye sɛ wɔadi nʼasɛm abu no kumfɔ ansa. 13Ɛsɛ sɛ wosisi guankɔbea nkurow yi mu abiɛsa wɔ Kanaan asase so 14na wosisi abiɛsa nso wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan apuei fam. 15Ɛnyɛ Israelfo nko na ɛhɔ bɛyɛ wɔn guankɔbea, na mmom, ɛbɛyɛ guankɔbea ama ahɔho ne akwantufo nyinaa.
16“ ‘Nanso sɛ obi de dade pema sin bi bɔ obi kum no a, wɔfa no sɛ wadi awu enti ɛsɛ sɛ wokum owudifo no. 17Anaasɛ, sɛ wɔde ɔbo kɛse bi bɔ obi ma owu a, ɛyɛ awudi enti ɛsɛ sɛ wokum owudifo no. 18Saa ara nso na sɛ wɔde dua na ekum no a ɛte ara ne no. 19Sɛ ɔweretɔni no hyia owudifo no wɔ baabiara a, ɔwɔ ho kwan sɛ okum no bi. 20Enti sɛ obi nam ɔtan so tow biribi bɔ obi, anaa, sɛ ɔtetɛw no, 21anaa ɔde abufuw bɔ no kuturuku na onii no wu a, ɔyɛ owudifo nti ɛsɛ sɛ wokum no.
22“ ‘Na sɛ emfi ɔtan so na obi sum ɔfoforo, anaa wanhyɛ da na ɔtow biribi ma ɛkɔbɔ obi, 23anaasɛ wanhu no na ogyaa ɔbo bi a ɛso a ebetumi akum no mu ma ekokum no a, esiane sɛ saa onipa no nyɛ ɔtamfo na onkura adwene bɔne bi nti, 24ɛyɛ bagua no asɛde sɛ wodi asɛm na wɔfa saa mmarakwan yi so bu ɔweretɔni no nea ne nsa apa no ntam atɛn. 25Ɛsɛ sɛ bagua no bɔ nea ne nsa apa no ho ban fi ɔweretɔni no nsam na wɔde nea ne nsa apa no san kɔ guankɔbea kuropɔn a oguan kɔɔ mu no mu. Ɛsɛ sɛ nea ne nsa apa no tena hɔ ara kosi sɛ ɔsɔfopanyin a wɔsraa no ngo bewu.
26“ ‘Nanso sɛ nea ne nsa apa no no fi guankɔbea kuropɔn a waguan akɔ mu no no ahye so 27na ɔweretɔni no hu no wɔ hɔ a obetumi akum no a ɔrenni awudi ho fɔ. 28Ɛsɛ sɛ nea ne nsa apa no tena guankɔbea kuropɔn no mu ara kosi sɛ ɔsɔfopanyin bewu. Ɔsɔfopanyin wu akyi nkutoo na obetumi asan akɔ nʼankasa agyapade ho.
29“ ‘Ɛsɛ sɛ eyi yɛ mmara a mudi so wɔ awo ntoatoaso a ɛbɛba no nyinaa mu wɔ baabiara a mobɛtena.
30“ ‘Ɛsɛ sɛ wokum obiara a obekum obi, nanso gye sɛ nnansefo a wɔboro onipa baako di tia no ansa na ɛsɛ sɛ wokum no. Sɛ onipa baako pɛ na odi adanse tia no de a, ɛno de, ɛnsɛ sɛ wokum no.
31“ ‘Munnnye owudifo a ɛsɛ sɛ owu no ti mpata, nnyina so nnyaa no. Ɛsɛ sɛ wokum no.
32“ ‘Munnnye obi a waguan akɔ guankɔbea kuropɔn mu no ti mpata nnyina so mma no nsan mmɛtena nʼasase so bere a ɔsɔfopanyin bi nwui.
33“ ‘Munngu asase a mote so no ho fi. Awudi gu asase ho fi, na wɔrentumi nyɛ mpata foforo biara mma asase a wɔahwie mogya agu so gye sɛ wɔde nea ohwiee mogya gui no mogya yɛ okum owudifo no. 34Munngu asase a mote so ne faako a mete no ho fi, efisɛ Me, Awurade no, mete Israelfo no mu.’ ”
