29THESE [ARE THOSE] WHOM HE COMMANDED YAHWEH TO APPORTION AS AN INHERITANCE TO <OBJ.> [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL IN [THE] LAND OF CANAAN 29These are the ones whom the LORD commanded to apportion the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
1AND HE SPOKE YAHWEH TO MOSES IN [THE] PLAINS OF MOAB AT [THE] JORDAN OF JERICHO <TO> SAYING Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites (Joshua 21:1–45; 1 Chronicles 6:54–81) 1Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho:
2COMMAND <OBJ.> [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND THEY WILL GIVE TO THE LEVITES SOME OF [THE] INHERITANCE OF POSSESSION THEIR CITIES TO DWELL IN AND PASTURE LAND FOR THE CITIES AROUND THEM YOU WILL GIVE TO THE LEVITES 2“Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities.
3AND THEY WILL BELONG THE CITIES TO <THE> THEM TO DWELL IN AND PASTURE LANDS THEIR THEY WILL BE FOR CATTLE THEIR AND FOR PROPERTY THEIR AND FOR EVERY ANIMAL THEIR 3The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.
4AND [THE] PASTURE LANDS OF THE CITIES WHICH YOU WILL GIVE TO THE LEVITES [WILL BE] FROM [THE] WALL OF THE CITY AND [THE] OUTSIDE TOWARDS ONE THOUSAND CUBIT[S] ALL AROUND 4The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits*NoteClose1,000 cubits is approximately 1,500 feet or 457.2 meters. from the wall on every side.
5AND YOU WILL MEASURE FROM [THE] OUTSIDE OF THE CITY <OBJ.> [THE] SIDE OF EAST -WARD TWO THOUSAND BY THE CUBIT AND <OBJ.> [THE] SIDE OF [THE] SOUTH TWO THOUSAND BY THE CUBIT AND <OBJ.> [THE] SIDE OF [THE] WEST TWO THOUSAND BY THE CUBIT AND <OBJ.> [THE] SIDE OF [THE] NORTH TWO THOUSAND BY THE CUBIT AND THE CITY [WILL BE] IN THE MIDDLE THIS IT WILL BELONG TO <THE> THEM [THE] PASTURE LANDS OF THE CITIES 5You are also to measure two thousand cubits*NoteClose2,000 cubits is approximately 3,000 feet or 914.4 meters. outside the city on the east two thousand on the south two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities.
6AND <OBJ.> THE CITIES WHICH YOU WILL GIVE TO THE LEVITES <OBJ.> [THE] SIX [THE] CITIES OF <THE> REFUGE WHICH YOU WILL GIVE TO FLEE THERE TOWARDS THE KILLER AND TO THEM YOU WILL GIVE FORTY AND TWO CITI[ES] 6Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.
7ALL THE CITIES WHICH YOU WILL GIVE TO THE LEVITES [WILL BE] FORTY AND EIGHT CITI[ES] <OBJ.> THEM AND <OBJ.> PASTURE LANDS THEIR 7The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight with their corresponding pasturelands.
8AND THE CITIES WHICH YOU WILL GIVE FROM [THE] POSSESSION OF [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FROM WITH THE MANY YOU WILL INCREASE AND FROM WITH THE FEW YOU WILL DECREASE EACH ONE ACCORDING TO [THE] MOUTH OF INHERITANCE ITS WHICH THEY WILL INHERIT IT WILL GIVE SOME OF CITIES ITS TO THE LEVITES 8The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.”
9AND HE SPOKE YAHWEH TO MOSES <TO> SAYING Six Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Deuteronomy 19:1–14; Joshua 20:1–9) 9Then the LORD said to Moses,
10SPEAK TO [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND YOU WILL SAY TO THEM IF YOU [ARE] ABOUT TO PASS OVER <OBJ.> THE JORDAN [THE] LAND OF TOWARDS CANAAN 10“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11AND YOU WILL MAKE HAPPEN TO <THE> YOURSELVES CITIES CITIES OF REFUGE THEY WILL BE FOR <THE> YOU AND HE WILL FLEE THERE TOWARDS A KILLER [WHO] HAS STRUCK DOWN <OF> A PERSON BY INADVERTENCE 11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.
12AND THEY WILL BECOME FOR <THE> YOU THE CITIES <INTO> A REFUGE FROM AN AVENGER AND NOT HE WILL DIE THE KILLER UNTIL STANDS HE <TO> BEFORE THE CONGREGATION FOR <THE> JUDGMENT 12You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
13AND THE CITIES WHICH YOU WILL GIVE SIX CITIES OF REFUGE THEY WILL BE FOR <THE> YOU 13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.
14<OBJ.> <THE> THREE <THE> CITIES YOU WILL GIVE FROM [THE] OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN AND <OBJ.> <THE> THREE <THE> CITIES YOU WILL GIVE IN [THE] LAND OF CANAAN CITIES OF REFUGE THEY WILL BE 14Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.
15FOR [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND FOR THE SOJOURNER AND FOR THE RESIDENT ALIEN IN MIDST OF THEM THEY WILL BECOME [THE] SIX THE CITIES <THE> THESE <INTO> A REFUGE TO FLEE THERE TOWARDS ANY [ONE WHO] STRIKES DOWN <OF> A PERSON BY INADVERTENCE 15These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
16AND IF WITH AN INSTRUMENT OF IRON HE STRUCK DOWN HIM AND HE DIED [IS] A KILLER HE CERTAINLY <TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH THE KILLER 16If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
17AND IF WITH A STONE OF HAND WHICH SOMEONE WILL DIE BY <THE> IT HE STRUCK DOWN HIM AND HE DIED [IS] A KILLER HE CERTAINLY <TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH THE KILLER 17Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
18OR WITH AN INSTRUMENT OF WOOD OF HAND WHICH SOMEONE WILL DIE BY <THE> IT HE STRUCK DOWN HIM AND HE DIED [IS] A KILLER HE CERTAINLY <TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH THE KILLER 18If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
19[THE] AVENGER OF <THE> BLOOD HE HE WILL PUT TO DEATH <OBJ.> THE KILLER WHEN MEETS HE <IN> <THE> HIM HE HE WILL PUT TO DEATH HIM 19The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
20AND IF IN HATRED HE WILL PUSH HIM OR HE THREW ON HIM WITH LYING IN WAIT AND HE DIED 20Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him,
21OR IN ENMITY HE STRUCK DOWN HIM WITH HAND HIS AND HE DIED CERTAINLY <TO TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH THE [ONE WHO] STRUCK [IS] A KILLER HE [THE] AVENGER OF <THE> BLOOD HE WILL PUT TO DEATH <OBJ.> THE KILLER WHEN MEETS HE <IN> <THE> HIM 21or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer he is to kill him.
22AND IF IN AN INSTANT WITH NOT ENMITY HE PUSHED HIM OR HE THREW ON HIM ANY WEAPON WITH NOT LYING IN WAIT 22But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,
23OR WITH ANY STONE WHICH SOMEONE WILL DIE BY <THE> IT WITH NOT SEEING [HIM] AND HE MADE [IT] FALL ON HIM AND HE DIED AND HE NOT [WAS] AN ENEMY OF HIM AND NOT [WAS] SEEKING HARM HIS 23or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,
24AND THEY WILL JUDGE THE CONGREGATION BETWEEN THE [ONE WHO] STRUCK AND BETWEEN [THE] AVENGER OF <THE> BLOOD ON THE JUDGMENTS <THE> THESE 24then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.
25AND THEY WILL DELIVER THE CONGREGATION <OBJ.> THE KILLER FROM [THE] HAND OF [THE] AVENGER OF <THE> BLOOD AND THEY WILL RETURN <OBJ.> HIM THE CONGREGATION TO [THE] CITY OF REFUGE HIS WHERE HE HAD FLED THERE TOWARDS AND HE WILL DWELL IN <THE> IT UNTIL [THE] DEATH OF THE PRIEST <THE> GREAT WHOM SOMEONE HAD ANOINTED <OBJ.> HIM WITH [THE] OIL OF <THE> HOLINESS 25The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26AND IF EVER <TO GO OUT> HE WILL GO OUT THE KILLER <OBJ.> [THE] BORDER OF [THE] CITY OF REFUGE HIS WHERE HE WILL FLEE THERE TOWARDS 26But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled
27AND HE WILL FIND <OBJ.> HIM [THE] AVENGER OF <THE> BLOOD FROM [THE] OUTSIDE OF [THE] BORDER OF [THE] CITY OF REFUGE HIS AND HE WILL KILL [THE] AVENGER OF <THE> BLOOD <OBJ.> THE KILLER NOT [WILL BELONG] TO <THE> HIM BLOOD 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed
28FOR IN [THE] CITY OF REFUGE HIS HE WILL REMAIN UNTIL [THE] DEATH OF THE PRIEST <THE> GREAT AND AFTER [THE] DEATH OF THE PRIEST <THE> GREAT HE WILL RETURN THE KILLER TO [THE] LAND OF POSSESSION HIS 28because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns.
29AND THEY WILL BECOME THESE [THINGS] FOR <THE> YOU <INTO> A STATUTE OF JUDGMENT TO GENERATIONS YOUR IN ALL DWELLING PLACES YOUR 29This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live.
30ANY [ONE WHO] STRIKES DOWN <OF> A PERSON TO [THE] MOUTH OF WITNESSES SOMEONE WILL KILL <OBJ.> THE KILLER AND A WITNESS ONE NOT HE WILL TESTIFY AGAINST ANYONE TO DIE 30If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.
31AND NOT YOU WILL TAKE A RANSOM FOR [THE] LIFE OF A KILLER WHO HE [IS] GUILTY TO DIE FOR CERTAINLY <TO DIE> HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH 31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.
32AND NOT YOU WILL TAKE A RANSOM TO FLEE TO [THE] CITY OF REFUGE HIS TO RETURN TO DWELL IN THE LAND UNTIL [THE] DEATH OF THE PRIEST 32Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.
33AND NOT YOU WILL POLLUTE <OBJ.> THE LAND WHICH YOU [ARE] IN <THE> IT FOR <THE> BLOOD IT IT POLLUTES <OBJ.> THE LAND AND FOR THE LAND NOT IT WILL BE ATONED TO THE BLOOD WHICH IT WAS SHED IN <THE> IT THAT EXCEPT BY [THE] BLOOD OF [THE] [ONE WHO] SHED IT 33Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed except by the blood of the one who shed it.
34AND NOT YOU WILL MAKE UNCLEAN <OBJ.> THE LAND WHICH YOU [ARE] DWELLING IN <THE> IT WHICH I [AM] DWELLING IN [THE] MIDST OF IT FOR I YAHWEH [AM] DWELLING IN AMONG [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL 34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites