¹² They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(A) so that anyone accused of murder^(B) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^(C)

³ so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally^(A) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.^{(B) 4} When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate^(C) and state their case before the elders^(D) 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^(E) 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.”

⁶ Otherwise, the avenger of blood^(A) might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.

⁷ Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death^(A) for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir^(B) as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left,^(C) leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”

⁹ Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally^(A) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.^(B)

¹¹ But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor,^(A) and then flees to one of these cities, ¹² the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.

²⁴ the assembly^(A) 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,^(B) who was anointed^(C) with the holy oil.^(D)

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.

¹⁹ The avenger of blood^(A) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^(B)