Numbers 35

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses on the Plains of Moab, near the Jordan by Jericho, and said:	1 And the Lord also spoke these things to Moses in the plains of Moab, above the Jordan, opposite Jericho:
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 “Instruct the sons of Israel, so that they may give to the Levites, from their possessions,
3 The towns must be their homes and the surrounding pasture land must be for their cattle, theirpossessions and all their animals.	3 cities as dwelling places, with their surrounding suburbs, so that they may lodge in the towns, and so that the suburbs may be for cattle and beasts of burden.
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 suburbs shall extend from the outer walls of the cities, all around, for the space of one thousand steps.
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 Facing the east, there shall be two thousand cubits, and facing the south, similarly, there shall be two thousand cubits. Toward the sea, also, which looks out toward the west, there shall be the same measure, and the northern region shall be bounded by equal limits. And the cities shall be in the center, and the suburbs shall be outside.
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, from the towns which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for the assistance of fugitives, so that he who has shed blood may flee to them. And, aside from these, there shall be forty-two other towns,
7 Altogether you wil give the Levites forty-eight towns, with their pasture lands.	7 that is, all together forty-eight with their suburbs.
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 And concerning these cities, which shall be given from the possessions of the sons of Israel: from those who have more, more shall be taken, and from those who have less, less shall be taken. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the measure of their inheritance.”
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 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When you will have crossed 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 discern which cities ought to be for the protection of fugitives who have shed blood unwillingly.
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 And when a fugitive is in these, the kinsman of the deceased shall not be able to kill him, until he stands in the sight of the multitude and his case is judged.
13 Of the towns you give, six wil serve you as cities of refuge:	13 Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,
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 shall be across 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 as much for the sons of Israel as for newcomers and sojourners, so that anyone who has shed blood unwillingly may flee to these places.
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 anyone will have struck someone with iron, and he who was struck will have died, then he shall be guilty of homicide, and he himself shall die.
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 he will have thrown a stone, and he who has been struck lies dead, then he shall be punished similarly.
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 he who has been struck with wood passes away, he shall be avenged by the blood of the one who struck him.
19 The avenger of blood wil put the murderer to death. Whenever he finds him, he wil put him todeath.	19 The close relative of the deceased shall put to death the murderer; as soon as he apprehends him, he shall put him to death.
20 "If the killer has maliciously manhandled his victim, or thrown some lethal missile to strike him down,	20 If, out of hatred, anyone assaults a man, or throws anything at him with ill intent,
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, while being his enemy, strikes him with his hand, and so he has died, the attacker shall be guilty of murder. The kinsman of the deceased, as soon as he finds him, shall cut his throat.
22 If, however, he has manhandled his victim by chance, without malice, or thrown some missile at himnot meaning to hit him	22 But if by chance, and without hatred
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 animosity, he will have done any of these things,
24 then the community will decide in accordance with these rules between the one who struck the blowand the avenger of blood,	24 and this has been proven in the hearing of the people, and the questions have been aired, between the one who struck and the close relative,
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 then the innocent one shall be freed from the hand of the revenger, and he shall be returned by this judgment into the city to which he had fled, and he shall stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with the holy oil, dies.
26 Should the kil er leave the bounds of the city of refuge in which he has taken sanctuary	26 If the one who has killed has been found beyond the limits of the cities which have been assigned to the exiled,
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 he has been struck by him who is avenging blood, he who killed him shall not be harmed.
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 For the fugitive ought to have resided in the city, until the death of the high priest. Then, after he is dead, the one who has killed shall be returned to his own land.
29 Such wil be the legal rule for you and your descendants, wherever you may live.	29 These things shall be a perpetual ordinance in all your habitations.
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 The punishment of a murderer shall be based upon testimony; but no one shall be condemned upon the testimony of only one person.
31 You wil not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer condemned to death; he must die.	31 You shall not accept money from him who is guilty of blood, and he shall be put to death promptly.
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 Exiles and fugitives, prior to the death of the high priest, are by no means able to be returned to their own cities.
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 Do not pollute the land of your habitation, so as to stain it with the blood of the innocent; neither is it able to be expiated in any way other than by the blood of him who has shed the blood of another.
34 So do not defile the country which you live in and where I live; for I, Yahweh, live among theIsraelites." '	34 And so shall your possession be cleansed, while I myself am abiding with you. For I am the Lord, who lives among the sons of Israel.”