Numbers 35:9-34
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Cities of Refuge
9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that a slayer who kills a person without intent may flee there.(A) 12 The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, so that the slayer may not die until there is a trial before the congregation.(B)
13 “The cities that you designate shall be six cities of refuge for you: 14 you shall designate three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall serve as refuge for the Israelites, for the resident or transient alien among them, so that anyone who kills a person without intent may flee there.(C)
Concerning Murder and Blood Revenge
16 “But anyone who strikes another with an iron object, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.(D) 17 Or anyone who strikes another with a stone in hand that could cause death, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or anyone who strikes another with a weapon of wood in hand that could cause death, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood is the one who shall put the murderer to death; when they meet, the avenger of blood shall execute the sentence.(E) 20 Likewise, if someone pushes another from hatred or hurls something at another, lying in wait, and death ensues, 21 or in enmity strikes another with the hand, and death ensues, then the one who struck the blow shall be put to death; that person is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.
22 “But if someone pushes another suddenly without enmity or hurls any object without lying in wait,(F) 23 or, while handling any stone that could cause death, unintentionally[a] drops it on another and death ensues, though they were not enemies and no harm was intended, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these ordinances,(G) 25 and the congregation shall rescue the slayer from the avenger of blood. Then the congregation shall send the slayer back to the original city of refuge. The slayer shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the slayer shall at any time go outside the bounds of the original city of refuge 27 and is found by the avenger of blood outside the bounds of the city of refuge and is killed by the avenger, no bloodguilt shall be incurred. 28 For the slayer must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the slayer may return to his property.
29 “These things shall be a statute and ordinance for you throughout your generations wherever you live.
30 “If anyone kills another, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of a single witness.(H) 31 Moreover you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is subject to the death penalty; a murderer must be put to death. 32 Nor shall you accept ransom for one who has fled to a city of refuge, enabling the fugitive to return to live in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.(I) 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell, for I the Lord dwell among the Israelites.”(J)
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- 35.23 Heb without seeing
Numbers 35:9-34
International Standard Version
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. 29 These are to be the statutes and ordinances for you throughout all your generations, regardless of where you live.”[p]
Capital Cases Require Multiple Witnesses
30 “Every murderer of a human being[q] is to be executed only according to testimony[r] given by multiple witnesses. A single witness is not to result in a death sentence.[s] 31 You are to receive no ransom for the life[t] of a killer who is guilty of murder; instead, he is to die. 32 You are not to receive payment of a[u] ransom for someone who had fled to a town of refuge but then left to live in his homeland before the death of the high priest. 33 You are not to pollute the land where you live, because blood defiles the land, and the land cannot atone for blood that has been spilled on it, except through the blood of the one who spilled it. 34 You are not to defile the land where you will be living, because I’m living among you. I am the Lord, who lives in Israel.”
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- Numbers 35:12 Or related redeemer
- Numbers 35:15 The Heb. lacks places
- Numbers 35:15 Lit. the foreigner
- Numbers 35:16 The Heb. lacks to be adjudged
- Numbers 35:17 The Heb. lacks to be adjudged
- Numbers 35:18 The Heb. lacks to be adjudged
- Numbers 35:19 Lit. him, he
- Numbers 35:20 Lit. If he
- Numbers 35:20 Lit. shoved him
- Numbers 35:20 The Heb. lacks something
- Numbers 35:22 The Heb. lacks something
- Numbers 35:23 The Heb. lacks or had he hit him
- Numbers 35:23 Lit. stone without seeing it
- Numbers 35:25 Lit. deliver
- Numbers 35:28 Lit. He
- Numbers 35:29 Or in all your dwelling places
- Numbers 35:30 Or soul
- Numbers 35:30 Lit. by the mouth
- Numbers 35:30 Or soul
- Numbers 35:31 Or soul
- Numbers 35:32 The Heb. lacks payment of a
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