Cities of Refuge^(A)

20 Then the Lord said to Joshua: ² “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, ³ so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally^(B) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.^{(C) 4} When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate^(D) and state their case before the elders^(E) of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. ⁵ If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. ⁶ They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly^(F) and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

⁷ So they set apart Kedesh^(G) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem^(H) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba^(I) (that is, Hebron^(J)) in the hill country of Judah.^{(K) 8} East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer^(L) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead^(M) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan^(N) in the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally^(O) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.^(P)

Cities of Refuge^(A)

⁶ “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.^(B) In addition, give them forty-two other towns. ⁷ In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. ⁸ The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”^(C)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(D) 11} select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(E) accidentally^(F) may flee. ¹² They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(G) so that anyone accused of murder^(H) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^{(I) 13} These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^{(J) 14} Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

¹⁶ “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.^{(K) 17} Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁹ The avenger of blood^(L) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^{(M) 20} If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally^(N) so that they die ²¹ or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death;^(O) that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood^(P) shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

²² “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^{(Q) 23} or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴ the assembly^(R) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵ The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(S) who was anointed^(T) with the holy oil.^(U)

²⁶ “‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled ²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. ²⁸ The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

²⁹ “‘This is to have the force of law^(V) for you throughout the generations to come,^(W) wherever you live.^(X)

³⁰ “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^(Y)

³¹ “‘Do not accept a ransom^(Z) for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

³² “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

³³ “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,^(AA) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴ Do not defile the land^(AB) where you live and where I dwell,^(AC) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

Towns for the Levites^(A)

21 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel^{(B) 2} at Shiloh^(C) in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns^(D) to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.”^{(E) 3} So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

⁴ The first lot came out for the Kohathites,^(F) according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.^{(G) 5} The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.^(H)

⁶ The descendants of Gershon^(I) were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar,^(J) Asher,^(K) Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷ The descendants of Merari,^(L) according to their clans, received twelve^(M) towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.^(N)

⁸ So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

⁹ From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name ¹⁰ (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):

¹⁹ The total number of towns^(AD) for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.^(AE)

²⁰ The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:

²⁶ All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.^(AN)

²⁷ The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:

²⁸ from the tribe of Issachar,^(AQ)

³⁰ from the tribe of Asher,^(AV)

³² from the tribe of Naphtali,

³³ The total number of towns of the Gershonite^(BB) clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

³⁴ The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given:

³⁶ from the tribe of Reuben,

³⁸ from the tribe of Gad,

⁴⁰ The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.^(BM)

⁴¹ The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands.^{(BN) 42} Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.

⁴³ So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors,^(BO) and they took possession^(BP) of it and settled there.^{(BQ) 44} The Lord gave them rest^(BR) on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies^(BS) withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies^(BT) into their hands.^{(BU) 45} Not one of all the Lord’s good promises^(BV) to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Duties of Priests and Levites

18 The Lord said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary,^(A) and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. ² Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister^(B) before the tent of the covenant law. ³ They are to be responsible to you^(C) and are to perform all the duties of the tent,^(D) but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.^{(E) 4} They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.^(F)

⁵ “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,^(G) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. ⁶ I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you,^(H) dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.^{(I) 7} But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.^(J) I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.^(K) Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.^(L)”

Offerings for Priests and Levites

⁸ Then the Lord said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion,^(M) your perpetual share.^{(N) 9} You are to have the part of the most holy offerings^(O) that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain^(P) or sin^[a](Q) or guilt offerings,^(R) that part belongs to you and your sons. ¹⁰ Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it.^(S) You must regard it as holy.^(T)

¹¹ “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings^(U) of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share.^(V) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean^(W) may eat it.

¹² “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain^(X) they give the Lord^(Y) as the firstfruits of their harvest.^{(Z) 13} All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the Lord will be yours.^(AA) Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.^(AB)

¹⁴ “Everything in Israel that is devoted^[b] to the Lord^(AC) is yours. ¹⁵ The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the Lord is yours.^(AD) But you must redeem^(AE) every firstborn^(AF) son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.^{(AG) 16} When they are a month old,^(AH) you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels^[c](AI) of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel,^(AJ) which weighs twenty gerahs.^(AK)

¹⁷ “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy.^(AL) Splash their blood^(AM) against the altar and burn their fat^(AN) as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(AO) 18} Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering^(AP) and the right thigh are yours.^{(AQ) 19} Whatever is set aside from the holy^(AR) offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt^(AS) before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

²⁰ The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them;^(AT) I am your share and your inheritance^(AU) among the Israelites.

²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes^(AV) in Israel as their inheritance^(AW) in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.^{(AX) 22} From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.^{(AY) 23} It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance^(AZ) for the generations to come.^(BA) They will receive no inheritance^(BB) among the Israelites.^{(BC) 24} Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord.^(BD) That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you^(BE) as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.^{(BF) 27} Your offering will be reckoned^(BG) to you as grain from the threshing floor^(BH) or juice from the winepress.^{(BI) 28} In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes^(BJ) you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

³⁰ “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.^{(BK) 31} You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting.^{(BL) 32} By presenting the best part^(BM) of it you will not be guilty in this matter;^(BN) then you will not defile the holy offerings^(BO) of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(A) In his great mercy^(B) he has given us new birth^(C) into a living hope^(D) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^{(E) 4} and into an inheritance^(F) that can never perish, spoil or fade.^(G) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,^{(H) 5} who through faith are shielded by God’s power^(I) until the coming of the salvation^(J) that is ready to be revealed^(K) in the last time.

¹³ And you also were included in Christ^(A) when you heard the message of truth,^(B) the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,^(C) the promised Holy Spirit,^{(D) 14} who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance^(E) until the redemption^(F) of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.^(G)

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood^(A) cannot inherit the kingdom of God,^(B) nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.^{(C) 51} Listen, I tell you a mystery:^(D) We will not all sleep,^(E) but we will all be changed^(F)— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,^(G) the dead^(H) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable^(I) must clothe itself with the imperishable,^(J) and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^[a](K)

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin,^(M) and the power of sin is the law.^(N)