⁴ “^(A)Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he strikes down his friend ^[a]without premeditation, ^[b]not hating him previously— ⁵ as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand ^[c]swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the ^[d]handle and ^[e]strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live; ⁶ lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer when his heart is ^[f]angry, and overtake him, because the way is long, and ^[g]strike down his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously.

² “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘^[a]Designate ^(A)the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses, ³ that the manslayer who strikes down any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become for you as a refuge from the avenger of blood.