Numbers 35
Revised Standard Version
Cities for the Levites
35 The Lord said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, 2 “Command the people of Israel, that they give to the Levites, from the inheritance of their possession, cities to dwell in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands round about the cities. 3 The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. 4 The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all round. 5 And you shall measure, outside the city, for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle; this shall belong to them as pasture land for their cities. 6 The cities which you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities which you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasture lands. 8 And as for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance which it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.”
Cities of Refuge
9 And the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Say to the people of Israel, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. 12 The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. 13 And the cities which you give shall be your six cities of refuge. 14 You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that any one who kills any person without intent may flee there.
Concerning Murder and Blood Revenge
16 “But if he struck him down with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 17 And if he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him down with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he stabbed him from hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died, 21 or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death; he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meets him.
22 “But if he stabbed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait, 23 or used a stone, by which a man may die, and without seeing him cast it upon him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy, and did not seek his harm; 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these ordinances; 25 and the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the bounds of his city of refuge to which he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the bounds of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slays the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. 28 For the man must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.
29 “And these things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 If any one kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses; but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death; but he shall be put to death. 32 And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not thus pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”
民數記 35
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
利未人分到的城邑
35 在耶利哥對面、約旦河邊的摩押平原，耶和華對摩西說： 2 「你告訴以色列人，要從分得的產業中把一些城邑及其周圍的草場分給利未人。 3 城邑供他們居住，草場供他們牧放牛羊等牲畜。 4 劃分給利未人的草場是從城牆往外延伸四百五十米[a]， 5 要以城為中心，東南西北四郊每邊向外量九百米作利未人的草場。 6 要分給利未人四十二座城邑，另外再加六座供誤殺人者躲避的避難城， 7 共四十八座城邑，包括城周圍的草場。 8 以色列各支派要從自己承受的產業中分一些城邑給利未人，人多的支派多給，人少的支派少給。」
避難城
9 耶和華對摩西說： 10 「告訴以色列人，『你們過了約旦河進入迦南以後， 11 要選一些城邑作為避難城，供誤殺人者逃去避難， 12 躲避復仇的人，以免誤殺人者未在會眾面前受審便被殺死。 13 你們要選六座城作為避難城， 14 三座在約旦河東岸，三座在迦南。 15 凡誤殺人的，無論是以色列人還是寄居的外族人，都可以逃到這些城避難。
16 「『倘若有人用鐵器打人致死，他就是故意殺人，必須被處死。 17 倘若有人用足以致命的石頭打人致死，他就是故意殺人，必須被處死。 18 倘若有人用足以致命的木器打人致死，他就是故意殺人，必須被處死。 19 報仇的人要親自處死故意殺人者，一找到他就要處死他。 20 倘若有人因怨恨把人推倒致死，或故意扔東西砸人致死， 21 或因仇恨徒手傷人致死，他就是故意殺人，必須被處死，報仇的人一找到他就要處死他。
22 「『倘若有人並非懷恨而是偶然推倒人致死，或無意間扔東西砸人致死， 23 或因沒有看見而扔石頭砸人致死，鑒於他與對方並非仇人，只是誤殺， 24 會眾就要照這些律例在誤殺人者與復仇者之間做出判決。 25 會眾要把誤殺人者從復仇者手裡救出來，讓他回到他原先逃往的避難城。他要住在那裡，一直住到受聖油膏立的大祭司逝世。 26 但倘若誤殺人者離開避難城， 27 復仇者在城外找到他，將他殺死也不用擔血債。 28 因為誤殺人者必須留在避難城內，等到大祭司逝世之後，才可返回家園。 29 這是你們世世代代無論住在哪裡都要遵守的律例。
30 「『倘若有人被控謀殺，必須有幾個人作證才可以處死他，不可憑一個人的證詞處死他。 31 犯了死罪的殺人兇手必須償命，不可讓他付贖金免死。 32 不可收逃進避難城之人的贖金，讓他在大祭司逝世前返回家園。 33 這樣，你們就不致玷污你們所居住的土地，因為血會玷污土地。除非用兇手的血作抵償，否則被血玷污的土地無法得到潔淨。 34 不可玷污你們所居住的土地，因為這是我居住的地方，我耶和華住在以色列人中間。』」
Footnotes
- 35·4 「四百五十米」七十士譯本為「九百一十米」。
Numbers 35
King James Version
35 And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.
3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
5 And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
7 So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
8 And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
9 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
11 Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.
12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
14 Ye 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.
15 These 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.
16 And 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.
17 And 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.
18 Or 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.
19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
21 Or 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.
22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
23 Or 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:
24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
25 And 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.
26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
27 And 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:
28 Because 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.
29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.
31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.
33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.