Numbers 35

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And the Lord spoke these things also to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, over against Jericho:	1 The LORD gave these instructions to Moses on the plains of Moab beside the Jericho stretch of the Jordan:
2 Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites out of their possessions,	2 "Tell the Israelites that out of their hereditary property they shall give the Levites cities for homes, as well as pasture lands around the cities.
3 Cities to dwell in, and their suburbs round about: that they may abide in the towns, and the suburbs may be for their cattle and beasts:	3 The cities shall serve them to dwell in, and the pasture lands shall serve their herds and flocks and other animals.
4 Which suburbs shall reach from the walls of the cities outward, a thousand paces on every side:	4 The pasture lands of the cities to be assigned the Levites shall extend a thousand cubits from the city walls in each direction.
5 Toward the east shall be two thousand cubits: and toward the south in like manner shall be two thousand cubits: toward the sea also, which looketh to the west, shall be the same extent: and the north side shall be bounded with the like limits. And the cities shall be in the midst, and the suburbs without.	5 Thus you shall measure out two thousand cubits outside the city along each side-east, south, west and north-with the city lying in the center. This shall serve them as the pasture lands of their cities.
6 And among the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for refuge to fugitives, that he who hath shed blood may flee to them: and besides these there shall be other forty-two cities,	6 "Now these are the cities you shall give to the Levites: the six cities of asylum which you must establish as places where a homicide can take refuge, and in addition forty-two other cities--
7 That is, in all forty-eight with their suburbs.	7 a total of forty-eight cities with their pasture lands to be assigned the Levites.
8 And of these cities which shall be given out of the possessions of the children of Israel, from them that have more, more shall be taken: and from them that have less, fewer. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the extent of their inheritance.	8 In assigning the cities from the property of the Israelites, take more from a larger group and fewer from a smaller one, so that each group will cede cities to the Levites in proportion to its own heritage."
9 The Lord said to Moses:	9 The LORD said to Moses,
10 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When you shall have passed over the Jordan into the land of Chanaan,	10 "Tell the Israelites: When you go across the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 Determine what cities shall be for the refuge of fugitives, who have shed blood against their will.	11 select for yourselves cities to serve as cities of asylum, where a homicide who has killed someone unintentionally may take refuge.
12 And when the fugitive shall be in them, the kinsman of him that is slain may not have power to kill him, until he stand before the multitude, and his cause be judged.	12 These cities shall serve you as places of asylum from the avenger of blood, so that a homicide shall not be put to death unless he is first tried before the community.
13 And of those cities, that are separated for the refuge of fugitives,	13 Six cities of asylum shall you assign:
14 Three shall be beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Chanaan,	14 three beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan.
15 As well for the children of Israel as for strangers and sojourners, that he may flee to them, who hath shed blood against his will.	15 These six cities of asylum shall serve not only the Israelites but all the resident or transient aliens among them, so that anyone who has killed another unintentionally may take refuge there.
16 If any man strike with iron, and he die that was struck : he shall be guilty of murder, and he himself shall die.	16 "If a man strikes another with an iron instrument and causes his death, he is a murderer and shall be put to death.
17 If he throw a stone, and he that is struck die: he shall be punished in the same manner.	17 If a man strikes another with a death-dealing stone in his hand and causes his death, he is a murderer and shall be put to death.
18 If he that is struck with wood die: he shall be revenged by the blood of him that struck him.	18 If a man strikes another with a death-dealing club in his hand and causes his death, he is a murderer and shall be put to death.
19 The kinsman of him that was slain, shall kill the murderer: as soon as he apprehendeth him, he shall kill him.	19 The avenger of blood may execute the murderer, putting him to death on sight.
20 If through hatred any one push a man, or fling any thingat him with ill design:	20 "If a man pushes another out of hatred, or after lying in wait for him throws something at him, and causes his death,
21 Or being his enemy, strike; him with his hand, and he die: the striker shall be guilty of murder: the kinsman of him that was slain as soon as he findeth him, shall kill him.	21 or if he strikes another out of enmity and causes his death, he shall be put to death as a murderer. The avenger of blood may execute the murderer on sight.
22 But if by chance medley, and without hatred,	22 "However, if a man pushes another accidentally and not out of enmity, or if without lying in wait for him he throws some object at him,
23 And enmity, he do any of these things,	23 or without seeing him throws a death-dealing stone which strikes him and causes his death, although he was not his enemy nor seeking to harm him:
24 And this be proved in the hearing of the people, and the cause be debated between him that struck, and the next of kin:	24 then the community, deciding the case between the slayer and the avenger of blood in accordance with these norms,
25 The innocent shall be delivered from the hand of the revenger, and shall be brought back by sentence into the city, to which he had fled, and he shall abide there until the death of the high priest, that is anointed with the holy oil.	25 shall free the homicide from the avenger of blood and shall remand him to the city of asylum where he took refuge; and he shall stay there until the death of the high priest who has been anointed with sacred oil.
26 If the murderer be found without the limits of the cities that are appointed for the banished,	26 If the homicide of his own accord leaves the bounds of the city of asylum where he has taken refuge,
27 And be struck by him that is the avenger of blood: he shall not be guilty that killed him.	27 and the avenger of blood finds him beyond these bounds and kills him, the avenger incurs no bloodguilt;
28 For the fugitive ought to have stayed in the city until the death of the high priest: and after he is dead, then shall the manslayer return to his own country.	28 the homicide was bound to stay in his city of asylum until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may the homicide return to his own district.
29 These things shall be perpetual, and for an ordinance in all your dwellings.	29 "These shall be norms for you and all your descendants, wherever you live, for rendering judgment.
30 The murderer shall be punished by witnesses: none shall be condemned upon the evidence of one man.	30 "Whenever someone kills another, the evidence of witnesses is required for the execution of the murderer. The evidence of a single witness is not sufficient for putting a person to death.
31 You shall not take money of him that is guilty of blood, but he shall die forthwith.	31 "You shall not accept indemnity in place of the life of a murderer who deserves the death penalty; he must be put to death.
32 The banished and fugitives before the death of the high priest may by no means return into their own cities.	32 Nor shall you accept indemnity to allow a refugee to leave his city of asylum and again dwell elsewhere in the land before the death of the high priest.
33 Defile not the land of your habitation, which is stained with the blood of the innocent: neither can it otherwise be expiated, but by his blood that hath shed the blood of another.	33 You shall not desecrate the land where you live. Since bloodshed desecrates the land, the land can have no atonement for the blood shed on it except through the blood of him who shed it.
34 And thus shall your possession he cleansed, myself abiding with you. For I am the Lord that dwell among the children of Israel.	34 Do not defile the land in which you live and in the midst of which I dwell; for I am the LORD who dwells in the midst of the Israelites."