Appointment of Cities of Refuge

⁹ Then the Lord told Moses, ¹⁰ “Tell the Israelis that when they have crossed the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, ¹¹ they are to designate some towns of refuge so that anyone who kills someone inadvertently may flee there. ¹² They are to serve as cities of refuge from a blood avenger^[a] in order to keep the inadvertent killer from dying until he has stood trial in the presence of the community. ¹³ You are to set aside six towns of refuge. ¹⁴ Appoint three towns this side of the Jordan River and three towns in the land of Canaan to serve as the towns of refuge, ¹⁵ that is, places^[b] of refuge for the Israelis, the resident alien,^[c] and any travelers among them. Anyone who kills a person inadvertently may flee there.”

Exceptions to Eligibility

¹⁶ “Whoever uses an iron implement to kill someone is to be adjudged^[d] a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death. ¹⁷ Furthermore, whoever uses a stone implement to kill someone is to be adjudged^[e] a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death. ¹⁸ Also, whoever uses a wooden implement to kill someone with it is to be adjudged^[f] a murderer, and that murderer is certainly to be put to death. ¹⁹ The blood avenger himself is to execute the murderer. When he meets him, the blood avenger^[g] is to put him to death. ²⁰ If the killer^[h] shoved his victim^[i] out of hatred, or hurled something^[j] at him while waiting in ambush so that he died, ²¹ or if he struck him with his hand out of hatred so that he died, then the killer is certainly to be put to death for murder. The avenger of blood is to put him to death when he meets him.”

Case Examples for Eligibility

²² “But if he pushed him suddenly without hatred, or if he hurled something^[k] in his direction without waiting in ambush, ²³ or if he hit him^[l] with a stone carelessly^[m] so that he was fatally injured, though he isn’t his enemy and he wasn’t seeking to commit evil against him, ²⁴ then the community is to judge between the inadvertent killer and the blood avenger, following these ordinances. ²⁵ The community is to release^[n] the inadvertent killer from the blood avenger and return him to the town of refuge where he had fled. He is to live there until the High Priest dies, who will have anointed him with holy oil. ²⁶ But if the inadvertent killer leaves the town of refuge where he had fled ²⁷ and the blood avenger finds him outside the town of refuge where he had fled and kills him, the blood avenger is not to be found guilty of murder. ²⁸ The inadvertent killer^[o] is to live in the town of refuge until the High Priest dies. After the death of the High Priest, the inadvertent killer is to return to the land of his inheritance.

Cities of Refuge

19 “When the Lord your God destroys those nations whose lands he^[a] is about to give you, you must dispossess them and live in their cities and houses. ² You must reserve^[b] three cities within the land that the Lord your God is about to give you to possess. ³ Build roads throughout the land that the Lord your God is providing as an inheritance, and then divide it into three districts so that any killer may flee there.

⁴ “Now this is the situation for any killer who flees there to live: suppose he strikes his friend unwittingly, not having hated him previously. ⁵ For instance,^[c] he may have accompanied his friend to go to a forest to cut trees. Then he swung his axe to cut some wood, but the ax head flew off the handle^[d] and hit^[e] his friend, so that he died. The killer^[f] may flee to one of these cities to live. ⁶ Since the distance may be great, the angry avenger may overtake the killer he is pursuing and kill him, in which case there will be no justice in his death, because he did not hate his friend^[g] previously. ⁷ Therefore I am commanding you to reserve^[h] three cities.”

Increase the Cities of Refuge

⁸ “Now if the Lord enlarges your territories just as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land that he promised,^{[i] 9} and if you are careful to observe all these commands that I am commanding you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk daily in his ways—then add three more cities in addition to these three cities. ¹⁰ You must not shed innocent blood on your land that the Lord your God is about to give you as an inheritance. Otherwise, you’ll be guilty of murder.”

Refuse Cold-Blooded Murderers

¹¹ “However, if a person hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, and attacks him so that he dies, and then he flees to one of those cities, ¹² then the elders of his own city are to send for him, remove him from there, and deliver him to the related avenger for execution. ¹³ Have no pity on him, but totally purge the shedding of innocent blood from Israel so that life may go well with you.”