Numbers:35

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* And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho , saying , * Command the children of Israel , that they give to the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in ; and ye shall give also to the Levites suburbs for the cities around them . * And they shall have the cities to dwell in ; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle , and for their goods , and for all their beasts . * And the suburbs of the cities which ye shall give to the Levites , shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits on all sides . * And ye shall measure from without 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 ; and the city shall be in the midst : this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities . * And among the cities which ye shall give to the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge , which ye shall appoint for the man-slayer , that he may flee thither : and to them ye shall add forty and two cities . * So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities : them shall ye give with their suburbs . * And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel : from them that have many ye shall give many ; but from them that have few ye shall give few : every one shall give of his cities to the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth . * And the LORD spoke to Moses , saying , * Speak to the children of Israel , and say to them , When ye have passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan ; * Then ye shall appoint for you cities to be cities of refuge for you ; that the slayer may flee thither , who killeth any person at unawares . * And they shall be to you cities for refuge from the avenger ; that the man-slayer may not die , until he stands before the congregation in judgment . * And of these cities which ye shall give , six cities shall ye have for refuge . * Ye shall give three cities on this side of Jordan , and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan , which shall be cities of refuge . * These six cities shall be a refuge , both for the children of Israel , and for the stranger , and for the sojourner among them : that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither . * And if he shall smite him with an instrument of iron , so that he shall die , he is a murderer : the murderer shall surely be put to death . * And if he shall smite him by throwing a stone , by which he may die , and he shall die , he is a murderer : the murderer shall surely be put to death . * Or if he shall smite him with a hand-weapon of wood , with which he may die , and he shall die , he is a murderer : the murderer shall surely be put to death . * The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer : when he meeteth him , he shall slay him . * But if he shall thrust him of hatred , or hurl at him by laying in wait , that he die . * Or in enmity shall smite him with his hand , that he die : he that smote him shall surely be put to death ; for he is a murderer : the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer , when he meeteth him . * But if he shall thrust him suddenly without enmity , or shall have cast upon him any thing without laying in wait , * Or with any stone , by which a man may die , seeing him not , and shall cast it upon him , that he die , and was not his enemy , neither sought his harm : * Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments : * And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood , and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge , whither he had fled : and he shall abide in it to the death of the high priest , who was anointed with the holy oil . * But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge , whither he had fled ; * And the avenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge , and the avenger of blood shall kill the slayer ; he shall not be guilty of blood : * Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest : but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession . * So these things shall be for a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings . * Whoever killeth any person , the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses : but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die . * Moreover , ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer , who is guilty of death : but he shall be surely put to death . * And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that hath fled to the city of his refuge , that he should come again to dwell in the land , until the death of the priest . * So ye shall not pollute the land in which ye are : for blood it defileth the land : and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed in it , but by the blood of him that shed it . * Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit , in which I dwell : for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel .

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