²² “But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,

¹¹ designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.

¹³ But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety.

⁵ If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility.

³ Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.

⁵ For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety.