⁶ lest ^(A)the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.

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.

¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you put me to death, ^(A)you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

Jeremiah Spared from Death

^16 (B)Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ^(C)“This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

⁷ And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ And so they would ^(A)destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor ^(B)remnant on the face of the earth.”

⁵ And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.

A Man Hanged on a Tree Is Cursed

²² “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,