“The towns that you give to the Levites shall include the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit a slayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two towns.

Cities of Refuge

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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.

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.

“The cities that you designate shall be six cities of refuge for you:

you shall designate three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.

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.

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.

But if the slayer shall at any time go outside the bounds of the original city of refuge

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.

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.

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.