Numbers 35

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses on the Plains of Moab, near the Jordan by Jericho, and said:	1 The LORD gave these instructions to Moses on the plains of Moab beside the Jericho stretch of the Jordan:
2 'Order the Israelites, from the heritage they possess, to give the Levites towns in which to live andpasture land round the towns. You wil give these to the Levites.	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 The towns must be their homes and the surrounding pasture land must be for their cattle, theirpossessions and all their animals.	3 The cities shall serve them to dwell in, and the pasture lands shall serve their herds and flocks and other animals.
4 The pasture land surrounding the towns which you give to the Levites wil extend, from the wal s ofthe towns, for a thousand cubits al round.	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 'Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits to the east, two thousand cubits to the south, twothousand cubits to the west and two thousand cubits to the north, the town lying in the centre; such wil be thepasture lands of these towns.	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 The towns you give to the Levites wil be six cities of refuge, ceded by you as sanctuary for those whocommit manslaughter; and you will give forty-two towns in addition.	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 Altogether you wil give the Levites forty-eight towns, with their pasture lands.	7 a total of forty-eight cities with their pasture lands to be assigned the Levites.
8 Of the towns which you give from the Israelites' possessions, you wil give more from those who havemore, and less from those who have less. Each wil give some of his towns to the Levites, in proportion to theheritage he himself has received.'	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 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:	9 The LORD said to Moses,
10 'Speak to the Israelites and say: "Once you have crossed the Jordan into Canaan,	10 "Tell the Israelites: When you go across the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 you wil find towns, some of which you wil make into cities of refuge where those who haveaccidental y committed manslaughter can take sanctuary.	11 select for yourselves cities to serve as cities of asylum, where a homicide who has killed someone unintentionally may take refuge.
12 These towns wil afford you refuge from the avenger of blood, so that the kil er will not be put todeath before standing trial before the community.	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 Of the towns you give, six wil serve you as cities of refuge:	13 Six cities of asylum shall you assign:
14 as cities of refuge, you wil give three towns on the other side of the Jordan and wil give three townsin Canaan.	14 three beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan.
15 These six towns wil serve as refuge for the Israelites, for the foreigner and for the resident alien,where anyone who has accidental y kil ed someone can take sanctuary.	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 "But if he has struck the person with an iron object so as to cause death, he is a murderer. Themurderer wil be put to death.	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 has struck him with a stone meant for kil ing, and has kil ed him, he is a murderer. Themurderer wil be put to death.	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 Or if he has struck him with a wooden instrument meant for kil ing, and has kil ed him, he is amurderer. The murderer will be put to death.	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 avenger of blood wil put the murderer to death. Whenever he finds him, he wil put him todeath.	19 The avenger of blood may execute the murderer, putting him to death on sight.
20 "If the killer has maliciously manhandled his victim, or thrown some lethal missile to strike him down,	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 out of enmity dealt him the death-blow with his fist, then he who struck the blow wil be put todeath; he is a murderer; the avenger of blood wil put him to death whenever he finds 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 If, however, he has manhandled his victim by chance, without malice, or thrown some missile at himnot meaning to hit him	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 or, without seeing him, dropped on him a stone meant for kil ing and so kil ed him, so long as hebore him no malice and wished him no harm,	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 then the community will decide in accordance with these rules between the one who struck the blowand the avenger of blood,	24 then the community, deciding the case between the slayer and the avenger of blood in accordance with these norms,
25 and wil save the kil er from the clutches of the avenger of blood. They will send him back to the cityof refuge where he had taken sanctuary, and there he wil stay until the death of the high priest who has beenanointed 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 Should the kil er leave the bounds of the city of refuge in which he has taken sanctuary	26 If the homicide of his own accord leaves the bounds of the city of asylum where he has taken refuge,
27 and the avenger of blood encounter him outside the bounds of his city of refuge, the avenger ofblood may kil him without fear of reprisal;	27 and the avenger of blood finds him beyond these bounds and kills him, the avenger incurs no bloodguilt;
28 since the kil er should stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the deathof the high priest is he free to go back to his own piece of property.	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 Such wil be the legal rule for you and your descendants, wherever you may live.	29 "These shall be norms for you and all your descendants, wherever you live, for rendering judgment.
30 "In any case of homicide, the evidence of witnesses wil determine whether the kil er must be put todeath; but a single witness is not enough to sustain a capital charge.	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 wil not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer condemned to death; he must die.	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 Nor wil you accept a ransom for anyone who, having taken sanctuary in his city or refuge, wishes tocome back and live at home before the death of the high priest.	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 Do not profane the country you live in. Blood profanes the country and, for the country, the onlyexpiation for the blood shed in it is the blood of the man who shed it.	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 So do not defile the country which you live in and where I live; for I, Yahweh, live among theIsraelites." '	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."