Numbers 34-36
New Living Translation
Boundaries of the Land
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give these instructions to the Israelites: When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your special possession, these will be the boundaries. 3 The southern portion of your country will extend from the wilderness of Zin, along the edge of Edom. The southern boundary will begin on the east at the Dead Sea.[a] 4 It will then run south past Scorpion Pass[b] in the direction of Zin. Its southernmost point will be Kadesh-barnea, from which it will go to Hazar-addar, and on to Azmon. 5 From Azmon the boundary will turn toward the Brook of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea.[c]
6 “Your western boundary will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
7 “Your northern boundary will begin at the Mediterranean Sea and run east to Mount Hor, 8 then to Lebo-hamath, and on through Zedad 9 and Ziphron to Hazar-enan. This will be your northern boundary.
10 “The eastern boundary will start at Hazar-enan and run south to Shepham, 11 then down to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there the boundary will run down along the eastern edge of the Sea of Galilee,[d] 12 and then along the Jordan River to the Dead Sea. These are the boundaries of your land.”
13 Then Moses told the Israelites, “This territory is the homeland you are to divide among yourselves by sacred lot. The Lord has commanded that the land be divided among the nine and a half remaining tribes. 14 The families of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received their grants of land 15 on the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho toward the sunrise.”
Leaders to Divide the Land
16 And the Lord said to Moses, 17 “Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun are the men designated to divide the grants of land among the people. 18 Enlist one leader from each tribe to help them with the task. 19 These are the tribes and the names of the leaders:
| Tribe | Leader |
|---|---|
| Judah | Caleb son of Jephunneh |
| 20 Simeon | Shemuel son of Ammihud |
| 21 Benjamin | Elidad son of Kislon |
| 22 Dan | Bukki son of Jogli |
| 23 Manasseh son of Joseph | Hanniel son of Ephod |
| 24 Ephraim son of Joseph | Kemuel son of Shiphtan |
| 25 Zebulun | Elizaphan son of Parnach |
| 26 Issachar | Paltiel son of Azzan |
| 27 Asher | Ahihud son of Shelomi |
| 28 Naphtali | Pedahel son of Ammihud |
29 These are the men the Lord has appointed to divide the grants of land in Canaan among the Israelites.”
Towns for the Levites
35 While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands. 3 These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock. 4 The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet[e] from the town walls in every direction. 5 Measure off 3,000 feet[f] outside the town walls in every direction—east, south, west, north—with the town at the center. This area will serve as the larger pastureland for the towns.
6 “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7 In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites. 8 These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land.”
Cities of Refuge
9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.
“When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally. 12 These cities will be places of protection from a dead person’s relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put to death before being tried by the community. 13 Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves, 14 three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan. 15 These cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety.
16 “But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed. 17 Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. 18 Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. 19 The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death. 20 So if someone hates another person and waits in ambush, then pushes him or throws something at him and he dies, it is murder. 21 Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet.
22 “But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person, 23 or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies. 24 If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim’s nearest relative: 25 The community must protect the slayer from the avenger and must escort the slayer back to live in the city of refuge to which he fled. There he must remain until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the sacred oil.
26 “But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge, 27 and the avenger finds him outside the city and kills him, it will not be considered murder. 28 The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property. 29 These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live.
30 “All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 31 Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death. 32 And never accept a ransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing a slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest. 33 This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.[g] 34 You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.”
Women Who Inherit Property
36 Then the heads of the clans of Gilead—descendants of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph—came to Moses and the family leaders of Israel with a petition. 2 They said, “Sir, the Lord instructed you to divide the land by sacred lot among the people of Israel. You were told by the Lord to give the grant of land owned by our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 But if they marry men from another tribe, their grants of land will go with them to the tribe into which they marry. In this way, the total area of our tribal land will be reduced. 4 Then when the Year of Jubilee comes, their portion of land will be added to that of the new tribe, causing it to be lost forever to our ancestral tribe.”
5 So Moses gave the Israelites this command from the Lord: “The claim of the men of the tribe of Joseph is legitimate. 6 This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: Let them marry anyone they like, as long as it is within their own ancestral tribe. 7 None of the territorial land may pass from tribe to tribe, for all the land given to each tribe must remain within the tribe to which it was first allotted. 8 The daughters throughout the tribes of Israel who are in line to inherit property must marry within their tribe, so that all the Israelites will keep their ancestral property. 9 No grant of land may pass from one tribe to another; each tribe of Israel must keep its allotted portion of land.”
10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord commanded Moses. 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah all married cousins on their father’s side. 12 They married into the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. Thus, their inheritance of land remained within their ancestral tribe.
13 These are the commands and regulations that the Lord gave to the people of Israel through Moses while they were camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
Numbers 34-36
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Boundaries of Israel’s Land
34 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the Israelites these instructions. When you enter Canaan, the land that will be given to you as your inheritance has these borders:
3 “The southern side includes part of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. In the east the southern border starts from the end of the Dead Sea 4 and turns south of the Akrabbim Pass. It then goes past Zin and ends at Kadesh Barnea. From there it goes to Hazar Addar and on to Azmon. 5 From Azmon it turns toward the River of Egypt so that the border ends at the Mediterranean Sea.
6 “The western border is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
7 “The northern border extends from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, 8 and from Mount Hor to the border of Hamath so that it ends at Zedad. 9 From there the border goes to Ziphron and ends at Hazar Enan.
10 “The eastern border extends from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 From Shepham the border goes down to Riblah, east of Ain, and continues along the eastern slope of the Sea of Galilee. 12 Then the border goes along the Jordan River so that it ends at the Dead Sea.
“This will be your land and the borders around it.”
13 Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you will divide by drawing lots. The Lord has commanded that this land will be given to the nine-and-a-half tribes. 14 The households from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have already received their land. 15 Those two-and-a-half tribes received land east of the Jordan River across from Jericho.”
Men Are Appointed to Divide the Land
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who will divide the land for you: the priest Eleazar and Joshua, son of Nun. 18 You must also take one leader from each tribe to divide the land. 19 These are their names:
Caleb, son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah;
20 Shemuel, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon;
21 Elidad, son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin;
22 Bukki, son of Jogli, the leader of the tribe of Dan;
23 Hanniel, son of Ephod, the leader of the tribe of Manasseh;
24 Kemuel, son of Shiphtan, the leader of the tribe of Ephraim;
(Manasseh and Ephraim are Joseph’s descendants.) [a]
25 Elizaphan, son of Parnach, the leader of the tribe of Zebulun;
26 Paltiel, son of Azzan, the leader of the tribe of Issachar;
27 Ahihud, son of Shelomi, the leader of the tribe of Asher;
28 Pedahel, son of Ammihud, the leader of the tribe of Naphtali.”
29 These are the men the Lord commanded to divide Canaan for the Israelites.
Cities for the Levites
35 The Lord spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. He said, 2 “Tell the Israelites to give the Levites some cities from their own property. They must also give the Levites the pastureland around those cities. 3 Then the Levites will have cities to live in and pastureland for their cattle, the flocks they own, and any other animals they have.
4 “The land around the cities that you give the Levites will extend 1,500 feet from the city wall. 5 Outside the city measure off 3,000 feet on the east side, 3,000 feet on the south side, 3,000 feet on the west side, and 3,000 feet on the north side, with the city in the center. This will be their pastureland around the city.
6 “Six of the cities you give the Levites will be cities of refuge. You must allow murderers to escape to these cities. In addition, you must also give the Levites 42 other cities. 7 So you will give a total of 48 cities with pastureland to the Levites. 8 The cities you give the Levites from the property of the other Israelites must be given based on the amount of land each tribe owns. Take more cities from larger tribes and fewer from smaller tribes.”
Cities of Refuge
9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan, 11 select certain cities to be places of refuge. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may run to them. 12 These cities will be places of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. So anyone accused of murder will not have to die until he has had a trial in front of the community. 13 There will be six cities you select as places of refuge, 14 three on the east side of the Jordan River and three in Canaan. 15 These six cities will be places of refuge for Israelites, foreigners, and strangers among you. Anyone who unintentionally kills another person may flee to these cities.
16 “But if any of you uses an iron weapon to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. 17 If any of you picks up a stone as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. 18 Or if any of you picks up a piece of wood as a weapon and uses it to kill another person, you are a murderer. Murderers must be put to death. 19 The relative who can avenge the death must make sure a murderer is put to death. When he catches up with the murderer, he must kill him. 20 If any of you kills someone you hate by shoving him or by deliberately throwing something at him, 21 or if you beat your enemy to death with your bare hands, you must be put to death. You are a murderer. The relative who can avenge the death must kill you when he catches up with you, because you are a murderer.
22 “But suppose you accidentally kill someone who wasn’t your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but didn’t mean to kill him. 23 Or suppose you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you didn’t know the person was there, he wasn’t your enemy, and you weren’t trying to harm him. 24 Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you ⌞are innocent⌟ or if the dead person’s relative can avenge the death. 25 ⌞If you are innocent,⌟ the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
26 “But don’t go outside the city of refuge you fled to. 27 If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder. 28 Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the high priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death.
29 “These will be the rules for future generations wherever you live.
30 “Whoever kills another person will be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of more than one witness. No one can be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
31 “Never accept a cash payment in exchange for the life of a convicted murderer who has been given the death penalty. Murderers must be put to death.
32 “An accused murderer who has fled to a city of refuge must never go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. Don’t accept a cash payment to allow him to do this.
33 “You must not pollute the land where you live. Murder is what pollutes the land. The land where a murder was committed can never make peace with the Lord except through the death of the murderer. 34 Never make the land where you and I live unclean.[b] I, the Lord, live among the Israelites.”
The Rights of Women to Inherit Land
36 The heads of the households whose families were descended from Gilead, son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh, (families of Joseph’s descendants) came and spoke to Moses and the leaders of the other Israelite households. 2 They said, “Sir, the Lord commanded you to give the Israelites their land by drawing lots. The Lord also commanded you to give the land of our relative Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Suppose they marry men from the other tribes of Israel. Their land will be taken away from that of our ancestors and added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Then we will have lost part of our land. 4 When the Israelites’ jubilee year comes, their land will be added to that of the tribe they married into. Then part of the land of our ancestors’ tribe will be gone.”
5 So Moses gave the Israelites a command from the Lord. “The tribe of Joseph’s descendants is right. 6 This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they want to, but only within a family of their ancestor’s tribe. 7 In this way no land of the Israelites will pass from one tribe to another. Every Israelite must keep the tribal land inherited from his ancestors. 8 A woman who inherits land in any of the tribes of Israel may marry a man from any family in her ancestor’s tribe. In this way every Israelite keeps the land inherited from his ancestors. 9 No land may pass from one tribe to another. Each Israelite tribe must keep the land it inherits.”
10 Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah married their cousins on their father’s side of the family. 12 They married within the families of the descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph. So their land stayed in the tribe of their father’s family.
13 These are the commands and rules the Lord gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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