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.’ ”
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.’ ”
