Numbers 34:16-35:21

New American Standard Bible 1995

¹⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁷ “^(A)These are the names of the men who shall apportion the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. ¹⁸ You shall take one leader of every tribe to apportion the land for inheritance. ¹⁹ These are the names of the men: of the tribe of ^(B)Judah, ^(C)Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ²⁰ Of the tribe of the sons of ^(D)Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud. ²¹ Of the tribe of ^(E)Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. ²² Of the tribe of the sons of Dan a leader, Bukki the son of Jogli. ²³ Of the sons of Joseph: of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel the son of Ephod. ²⁴ Of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a leader, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. ²⁵ Of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a leader, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. ²⁶ Of the tribe of the sons of Issachar a leader, Paltiel the son of Azzan. ²⁷ Of the tribe of the sons of Asher a leader, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. ²⁸ Of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a leader, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” ²⁹ These are those whom the Lord commanded to apportion the inheritance to the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Cities for the Levites

35 ^(F)Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, ² “Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. ³ The cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

⁴ “The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city ^[a]outward a thousand cubits around. ⁵ You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.

Cities of Refuge

⁶ The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the ^(G)six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. ⁷ All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be ^(H)forty-eight cities, ^[b]together with their pasture lands. ^8 (I)As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰ “^(J)Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ^11 (K)then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your ^(L)cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has ^[c]killed any person ^(M)unintentionally may flee there. ^12 (N)The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for ^[d]trial. ¹³ The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge. ¹⁴ You ^(O)shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities ^[e]in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who ^[f]kills a person ^(P)unintentionally may flee there.

¹⁶ ‘^(Q)But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁷ If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer ^(R)shall surely be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁹ The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him. ^20 (S)If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him ^(T)lying in wait and as a result he died, ²¹ or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.