Numbers Chapter 35

The Levitical Cities

35:1 AND the LORD spake to Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying,
35:2 Command the children of Israel, that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to stay in; and ya’ll shall give [also] to the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.
35:3 And the cities shall they have to stay in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
35:4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ya’ll shall give to the Levites, [shall reach] from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits noun — an ancient measure of length, approximately equal to the length of a forearm. It was typically about 18 inches or 44 cm, though there was a long cubit of about 21 inches or 52 cm. — ORIGIN Middle English : from Latin cubitum ‘elbow, forearm, cubit’.round about.
35:5 And ya’ll shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits noun — an ancient measure of length, approximately equal to the length of a forearm. It was typically about 18 inches or 44 cm, though there was a long cubit of about 21 inches or 52 cm. — ORIGIN Middle English : from Latin cubitum ‘elbow, forearm, cubit’., and on the south side two thousand cubits noun — an ancient measure of length, approximately equal to the length of a forearm. It was typically about 18 inches or 44 cm, though there was a long cubit of about 21 inches or 52 cm. — ORIGIN Middle English : from Latin cubitum ‘elbow, forearm, cubit’., and on the west side two thousand cubits noun — an ancient measure of length, approximately equal to the length of a forearm. It was typically about 18 inches or 44 cm, though there was a long cubit of about 21 inches or 52 cm. — ORIGIN Middle English : from Latin cubitum ‘elbow, forearm, cubit’., and on the north side two thousand cubits noun — an ancient measure of length, approximately equal to the length of a forearm. It was typically about 18 inches or 44 cm, though there was a long cubit of about 21 inches or 52 cm. — ORIGIN Middle English : from Latin cubitum ‘elbow, forearm, cubit’. ; and the city [shall be] in the midst this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

Refuge cities

35:6 And among the cities which ya’ll shall give to the Levites [there shall be] six cities for refuge, which ya’ll shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee there and to them ya’ll shall add forty and two cities.
35:7 [So] all the cities which ya’ll shall give to the Levites [shall be] forty and eight cities them [shall ya’ll give] with their suburbs.
35:8 And the cities which ya’ll shall give [shall be] of the possession of the children of Israel from [them that have] many ya’ll shall give many ; but from [them that have] few ya’ll shall give few every one shall give of his cities to the Levites according to his inheritance which he inherits.

Laws of murder

35:9 And the LORD spake to Moses, saying,
35:10 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When ya’ll be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan ;
35:11 Then ya’ll shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee there, which kills any person at unknowingly.
35:12 And they shall be to you cities for refuge from the redeemer ; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
35:13 And of these cities which ya’ll shall give six cities shall ya’ll have for refuge.
35:14 ya’ll shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ya’ll give in the land of Canaan, [which] shall be cities of refuge.
35:15 These six cities shall be a refuge, [both] for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them that every one that kills any person unknowingly may flee there.
35:16 And if he strike him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he [is] a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death.
35:17 And if he strike him with throwing a stone, by which he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death.
35:18 Or [if ] he strike him with an hand weapon of wood, by which he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death.
35:19 The revenger of blood himself shall kill the murderer when he meets him, he shall kill him.
35:20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die ;
35:21 Or in enmity strike him with his hand, that he die he that struck [him] shall surely be put to death ; [for] he [is] a murderer the revenger of blood shall kill the murderer, when he meets him.
35:22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
35:23 Or with any stone, by which a man may die, seeing [him] not, and cast [it] upon him, that he die, and [was] not his enemy, neither sought his harm
35:24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments
35:25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled and he shall abide in it to the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
35:26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled ;
35:27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer ; he shall not be guilty of blood
35:28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.
35:29 So these [things] shall be for a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
35:30 Whoso kills any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses but one witness shall not testify against any person [to cause him] to die.
35:31 Moreover ya’ll shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which [is] guilty of death but he shall be surely put to death.
35:32 And ya’ll shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to stay in the land, until the death of the priest.
35:33 So ya’ll shall not pollute the land wherein ya’ll [are] for blood it defiles the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
35:34 Defile not therefore the land which ya’ll shall inhabit, wherein I stay for I the LORD stay among the children of Israel.