Numbers 35:9-28

New Catholic Bible

Cities of Refuge. ⁹The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁰“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ¹¹choose cities that will be your cities of refuge to which a person who has accidentally killed another person can flee. ¹²These will be cities of refuge from the kinsman avenger^[a] so that the killer will not die until he has received judgment before the assembly. ¹³These six cities that you give will be your cities of refuge. ¹⁴Give three cities across the Jordan and give three cities in the land of Canaan to be your cities of refuge. ¹⁵These six cities will be a refuge for the people of Israel, for foreigners, and for foreigners dwelling among them, to which a person who has killed accidentally can flee.

¹⁶Treatment of Murderers.“ ‘If someone strikes another with an iron object to kill him, then he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death. ¹⁷If someone strikes another with a stone in his hand to kill him, then he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death. ¹⁸If someone strikes another with a wooden object in his hand to kill him, then he is a murderer. The murderer will be put to death. ¹⁹The kinsman avenger of blood will kill him. When he meets the murderer, he will put him to death. ²⁰If anyone pushes another person out of hatred or lays in wait and throws something at him in order to kill him, ²¹or if with bitterness he strikes someone with his hand in order to kill him, then that person will be put to death, for he is a murderer. The kinsman avenger of blood will kill the murderer when he meets him.

²²“ ‘But if someone without bitterness pushes another person or throws something at him without his lying in wait, ²³or he has a deadly stone object and he does not see the other, but drops it on him causing him to die, and he was not an enemy nor was he seeking to harm the other person, ²⁴then the assembly will judge between the killer and the kinsman avenger of blood according to these ordinances: ²⁵the assembly will save the killer from the hands of the kinsman avenger of blood. The assembly will send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He will live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with holy oil.

²⁶“ ‘But if the killer at any time crosses over the boundary of the city of refuge to which he has fled, ²⁷and the kinsman avenger of blood finds him outside of the boundary of the city of refuge, and the kinsman avenger of blood kills the killer, he will not be considered to have blood guilt. ²⁸He should have remained in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. After the death of the high priest, the killer can return to the land of his possession.

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Footnotes

Numbers 35:12 The avenger (Hebrew, goel) is the closest relative of the victim; it is up to him to see justice done (see v. 19; Gen 4:15; 9:6; Deut 19:12; 2 Sam 14:11). He is also the authorized protector of his relatives; in particular, he must prevent the alienation of their properties (see Lev 25:23-25; Ru 4:3ff). By extension, God will be called “the goel of Israel” (Ps 18:14; Isa 41:14; Jer 50:34). A goel is basically a protector.

Numbers 35:9-28

New International Version

⁹Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^(A) ¹¹select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(B) accidentally^(C) may flee. ¹²They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(D) so that anyone accused of murder^(E) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^(F) ¹³These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^(G) ¹⁴Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

¹⁶“‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.^(H) ¹⁷Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁸Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁹The avenger of blood^(I) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^(J) ²⁰If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally^(K) so that they die ²¹or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death;^(L) that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood^(M) shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

²²“‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^(N) ²³or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴the assembly^(O) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(P) who was anointed^(Q) with the holy oil.^(R)

²⁶“‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled ²⁷and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. ²⁸The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

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Numbers 35:9-28

King James Version

⁹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

¹⁰Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

¹¹Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

¹²And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

¹³And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

¹⁴Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

¹⁵These 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 killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

¹⁶And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁹The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

²⁰But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

²¹Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

²²But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

²³Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

²⁴Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

²⁵And 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 unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

²⁶But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

²⁷And 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:

²⁸Because 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.

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