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.’ ”
利未人分到的城邑
1在耶利哥对面、约旦河边的摩押平原，耶和华对摩西说： 2“你告诉以色列人，要从分得的产业中把一些城邑及其周围的草场分给利未人。 3城邑供他们居住，草场供他们牧放牛羊等牲畜。 4划分给利未人的草场是从城墙往外延伸四百五十米35:4 “四百五十米”七十士译本为“九百一十米”。， 5要以城为中心，东南西北四郊每边向外量九百米作利未人的草场。 6要分给利未人四十二座城邑，另外再加六座供误杀人者躲避的避难城， 7共四十八座城邑，包括城周围的草场。 8以色列各支派要从自己承受的产业中分一些城邑给利未人，人多的支派多给，人少的支派少给。”
避难城
9耶和华对摩西说： 10“告诉以色列人，‘你们过了约旦河进入迦南以后， 11要选一些城邑作为避难城，供误杀人者逃去避难， 12躲避复仇的人，以免误杀人者未在会众面前受审便被杀死。 13你们要选六座城作为避难城， 14三座在约旦河东岸，三座在迦南。 15凡误杀人的，无论是以色列人还是寄居的外族人，都可以逃到这些城避难。
16“‘倘若有人用铁器打人致死，他就是故意杀人，必须被处死。 17倘若有人用足以致命的石头打人致死，他就是故意杀人，必须被处死。 18倘若有人用足以致命的木器打人致死，他就是故意杀人，必须被处死。 19报仇的人要亲自处死故意杀人者，一找到他就要处死他。 20倘若有人因怨恨把人推倒致死，或故意扔东西砸人致死， 21或因仇恨徒手伤人致死，他就是故意杀人，必须被处死，报仇的人一找到他就要处死他。
22“‘倘若有人并非怀恨而是偶然推倒人致死，或无意间扔东西砸人致死， 23或因没有看见而扔石头砸人致死，鉴于他与对方并非仇人，只是误杀， 24会众就要照这些律例在误杀人者与复仇者之间做出判决。 25会众要把误杀人者从复仇者手里救出来，让他回到他原先逃往的避难城。他要住在那里，一直住到受圣油膏立的大祭司逝世。 26但倘若误杀人者离开避难城， 27复仇者在城外找到他，将他杀死也不用担血债。 28因为误杀人者必须留在避难城内，等到大祭司逝世之后，才可返回家园。 29这是你们世世代代无论住在哪里都要遵守的律例。
30“‘倘若有人被控谋杀，必须有几个人作证才可以处死他，不可凭一个人的证词处死他。 31犯了死罪的杀人凶手必须偿命，不可让他付赎金免死。 32不可收逃进避难城之人的赎金，让他在大祭司逝世前返回家园。 33这样，你们就不致玷污你们所居住的土地，因为血会玷污土地。除非用凶手的血作抵偿，否则被血玷污的土地无法得到洁净。 34不可玷污你们所居住的土地，因为这是我居住的地方，我耶和华住在以色列人中间。’”
