Deuteronomy 19:1-10
Expanded Bible
Cities of Safety
19 When the Lord your God gives you land that belongs to the other nations, nations that he will ·destroy [cut off], you will ·force them out [dispossess them] and live in their cities and houses. 2 Then ·choose [set apart; separate] three cities in the middle of the land the Lord your God is giving you as your ·own [possession]. 3 ·Build roads to these cities [or Work out the distances], and divide the land the Lord is giving you into three parts so that someone who kills another person may run to ·these cities [L there].
4 This is the rule for someone who kills another person and runs to one of these cities in order to save his life [Ex. 21:13–14; Num. 35:6–34; Josh. 20]. But the person must have killed a neighbor ·without meaning to [accidentally; unintentionally], not out of hatred. 5 For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood and swings an ax to cut down a tree. If the ax head ·flies [slips] off the handle, ·hitting and killing [L finds] the neighbor, the one who killed him may run to one of these cities to save his life. 6 Otherwise, the ·dead person’s relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer [near-kinsman; L avenger of blood] might be angry and chase him. If the city is far away, the relative might ·catch [L pursue and overtake] and kill the person, even though he should not be killed because there was no intent to kill his neighbor. 7 This is why I command you to ·choose [set apart; separate] these three cities.
Deuteronomy 19:1-10
New American Standard Bible
Cities of Refuge
19 “(A)When the Lord your God cuts off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses, 2 (B)you shall set aside for yourself three cities in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you to [a]possess. 3 You shall prepare the [b]roads for yourself, and divide into three regions the territory of your land which the Lord your God will give you as an inheritance, [c]so that anyone who commits manslaughter may flee there.
4 “(C)Now this is the case of the one who commits manslaughter, who may flee there and live: when he [d]kills his friend [e]unintentionally, [f]not hating him previously— 5 as when a person goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand [g]swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the [h]handle and [i]strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live. 6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue [j]him [k]in the heat of his anger, and overtake him because the way is long, and [l]take his life, though he was not sentenced to death since he had not hated him previously. 7 Therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside for yourself three cities.’
8 “And if the Lord your God (D)enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that He [m]promised to give your fathers— 9 if you [n]carefully follow all of this commandment which I am commanding you today, (E)to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways always—(F)then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. 10 So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and (G)guilt for bloodshed will not be on you.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Deuteronomy 19:2 Lit possess it
- Deuteronomy 19:3 Lit road
- Deuteronomy 19:3 Lit and it shall be for everyone who committed manslaughter to flee there
- Deuteronomy 19:4 Lit strikes
- Deuteronomy 19:4 Lit without knowledge
- Deuteronomy 19:4 Lit and he was not hating him previously
- Deuteronomy 19:5 Lit is put to the
- Deuteronomy 19:5 Lit wood
- Deuteronomy 19:5 Lit finds
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Lit the one who committed manslaughter
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Lit while his heart is hot
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Lit strike him in the soul
- Deuteronomy 19:8 Lit spoke
- Deuteronomy 19:9 Lit keep all...to do it
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