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.’ ”
Lewifoɔ Nkuro
1Ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ bɔɔ atenaseɛ wɔ Yordan ho, Moab tata so a ɛne Yeriko di nhwɛanimu no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, 2“Ka kyerɛ Israelfoɔ no na wɔmfa wɔn agyapadeɛ no mu bi a ɛyɛ nkuro ne ɛho mmoa adidibea mma Lewifoɔ. 3Nkuro no mu na wɔbɛtena na wɔn anantwie, wɔn nnwan ne wɔn mmoa a aka no nso akɔ adidi wɔ adidibea hɔ.
4“Wɔn mmoa adidibea no kɛseɛ bɛfiri kuro no afasuo ho a ne fa biara tɛtrɛtɛ yɛ anammɔn apem ne ahanum. 5Monsusu anammɔn mpensa mfiri kuro no afasuo no ho wɔ nʼafanan nyinaa. Yei bɛyɛ adidibea kɛseɛ ama nkuro no.
Dwanekɔbea Nkuropɔn
6“Momma Lewifoɔ no dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn nsia, baabi a obi a wafom akum ɔfoforɔ no bɛtumi adwane akɔ. Momfa nkuro aduanan mmienu nka wɔn ho. 7Ne nyinaa bɛyɛ nkuro aduanan nwɔtwe ne ho adidibea. 8Saa nkuro yi bɛfiri Israelfoɔ no agyapadeɛ mu. Mmusuakuo no mu akɛseɛ bɛma Lewifoɔ no nkuro bebree na mmusuakuo nketewa no ama kakraa. Abusuakuo biara bɛma sɛdeɛ nʼagyapadeɛ kɛseɛ teɛ.”
9Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, 10“Ka kyerɛ nnipa no sɛ, sɛ wɔduru asase no so a, 11wɔnyi Dwanekɔbea Nkuro a wɔde bɛma obiara a wafom akum onipa na ɔpɛ sɛ ɔdwane kɔ hɔ. 12Saa nkuro yi bɛyɛ dwanekɔbea ama owudifoɔ no afiri owufoɔ no abusuafoɔ a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔtɔ owufoɔ no wuo so awere; na ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no, gye sɛ wɔadi nʼasɛm abu no kumfɔ. 13Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsisi Dwanekɔbea Nkuro yi mu mmiɛnsa wɔ Kanaan asase so 14na wɔsisi mmiɛnsa nso wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan apueeɛ fam. 15Ɛnyɛ Israelfoɔ nko na ɛhɔ bɛyɛ wɔn dwanekɔbea, na mmom, ɛbɛyɛ dwanekɔbea ama ahɔhoɔ ne akwantufoɔ nyinaa.
16“Nanso, sɛ obi de dadeɛ poma sin bi bɔ obi kum no a, wɔfa no sɛ wadi awu, enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no. 17Anaasɛ, sɛ wɔde ɛboɔ kɛseɛ bi bɔɔ owufoɔ no a, ɛyɛ awudie enti ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no. 18Saa ara nso na sɛ wɔde dua na wɔde kumm no a, ɛte ara ne no. 19Sɛ ɔweretɔfoɔ no hyia owudifoɔ no baabiara a, ɔwɔ ho kwan sɛ ɔkum no bi. 20Enti, sɛ obi nam ɔtan so to biribi bɔ obi, anaasɛ ɔtetɛ no, 21anaa ɔde abufuo bɔ no kuturuku na onii no wu a, ɔyɛ owudifoɔ enti ɛsɛ sɛ ɔweretɔfoɔ no kum owudifoɔ no.
22“Na sɛ nkwanhyia no mu, sɛ obi anhyɛ da na ɔtoo biribi anaa ɛboɔ bi a wanto no abufuo so, na ɔnnim sɛ ɛbɛbɔ obi 23anaasɛ ɛnyɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛha ne ɔtamfoɔ, na sɛ onipa ko no wu a, 24ɛsɛ sɛ wɔdi asɛm no. Wɔbɛhwɛ sɛ ɛyɛ nkwanhyia anaa ɛnyɛ nkwanhyia, anaasɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde saa onipa no hyɛ owufoɔ no weretɔni nsa anaa wɔmmfa no nhyɛ ne sa. 25Sɛ wɔsi gyinaeɛ sɛ ɛyɛ nkwanhyia a, nnipa no bɛgye owudifoɔ no afiri ɔweretɔfoɔ no nsam. Wɔbɛma owudifoɔ no atena Dwanekɔbea Kuro no mu hɔ ara akɔsi sɛ ɔsɔfopanin bɛwu.
26“Sɛ owudifoɔ no firi kuro no mu 27na ɔweretɔni no hyia no na ɔkum no tua ka a, wɔmmfa no sɛ ɛyɛ awudie, 28ɛfiri sɛ, anka ɛsɛ sɛ owudifoɔ no tena kuro no mu kɔsi mmerɛ a ɔsɔfopanin no bɛwu. Ɔsɔfopanin no wuo akyi no, owudifoɔ no tumi kɔ ne kurom.
29“Yei yɛ Israelfoɔ mmara a ɛwɔ hɔ daa firi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ so kɔsi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ so.
30“Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum awudifoɔ nyinaa. Nanso gye sɛ adansefoɔ boro onipa baako di tia no ansa na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum no. Sɛ onipa baako di adanseɛ tia no nso a, ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔkum no.
31“Ɛberɛ biara a wɔbɛbua obi kumfɔ no, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔwuo a wɔnnye mpata biara.
32“Odwanefoɔ bi a ɔhyɛ Dwanekɔbea Kuropɔn no mu no nso nni ho ɛkwan sɛ ɔtua sika ma wɔma no ɛkwan kɔ ne kurom ansa na ɔsɔfopanin no awu.
33“Yei na ɛbɛma awerɛhyɛmu sɛ asase a mote so no ho rengu fi, ɛfiri sɛ, awudie gu asase ho fi. Wɔrentumi nyɛ mpatadeɛ foforɔ biara mma awudie gye sɛ wɔkum owudifoɔ no. 34Monngu asase a morekɔtena so no ho fi, ɛfiri sɛ, Me, Awurade mete hɔ bi. Mene Awurade a mete Israelfoɔ mu no.”
