Numbers 35:22-29

Living Bible

^22-23 “But if it is an accident—a case in which something is thrown unintentionally, or in which a stone is thrown without anger, without realizing it will hit anyone, and without wanting to harm an enemy—yet the man dies, ²⁴ then the people shall judge whether or not it was an accident, and whether or not to hand the killer over to the avenger of the dead man. ²⁵ If it is decided that it was accidental, then the people shall save the killer from the avenger; the killer shall be permitted to stay in the City of Refuge; and he must live there until the death of the High Priest.

²⁶ “If the slayer leaves the city, ²⁷ and the avenger finds him outside and kills him, it is not murder, ²⁸ for the man should have stayed inside the city until the death of the High Priest. But after the death of the High Priest, the man may return to his own land and home. ²⁹ These are permanent laws for all Israel from generation to generation.