1 haec quoque locutus est Dominus ad Mosen
in campestribus Moab super Iordanem contra Hiericho
2 praecipe filiis Israhel ut dent Levitis de possessionibus suis
3 urbes ad habitandum et suburbana earum per circuitum
ut ipsi in oppidis maneant
et suburbana sint pecoribus ac iumentis
4 quae a muris civitatum forinsecus per circuitum
mille passuum spatio tendentur
5 contra orientem duo milia erunt cubiti
et contra meridiem similiter duo milia
ad mare quoque quod respicit occidentem eadem
mensura erit
et septentrionalis plaga aequali termino finietur
eruntque urbes in medio et foris suburbana
6 de ipsis autem oppidis quae Levitis dabitis
sex erunt in fugitivorum auxilia separata
ut fugiat ad ea qui fuderit sanguinem
exceptis his alia quadraginta duo oppida
7 id est simul quadraginta octo cum suburbanis suis
8 ipsaeque urbes quae dabuntur de possessionibus filiorum
Israhel
ab his qui plus habent plures auferentur et qui minus pauciores
singuli iuxta mensuram hereditatis suae dabunt oppida Levitis
9 ait Dominus ad Mosen
10 loquere filiis Israhel et dices ad eos
quando transgressi fueritis Iordanem in terram Chanaan
11 decernite quae urbes esse debeant in praesidia fugitivorum
qui nolentes sanguinem fuderint
12 in quibus cum fuerit profugus
cognatus occisi eum non poterit occidere
donec stet in conspectu multitudinis et causa illius iudicetur
13 de ipsis autem urbibus quae ad fugitivorum subsidia separantur
14 tres erunt trans Iordanem et tres in terra Chanaan
15 tam filiis Israhel quam advenis atque peregrinis
ut confugiat ad eas qui nolens sanguinem fuderit
16 si quis ferro percusserit
et mortuus fuerit qui percussus est
reus erit homicidii et ipse morietur
17 si lapidem iecerit et ictus occubuerit similiter punietur
18 si ligno percussus interierit percussoris sanguine vindicabitur
19 propinquus occisi homicidam interficiet
statim ut adprehenderit eum percutiet
20 si per odium quis hominem inpulerit
vel iecerit quippiam in eum per insidias
21 aut cum esset inimicus manu percusserit et ille mortuus fuerit
percussor homicidii reus erit
cognatus occisi statim ut invenerit eum iugulabit
22 quod si fortuito et absque odio
23 et inimicitiis
quicquam horum fecerit
24 et hoc audiente populo fuerit conprobatum
atque inter percussorem et propinquum sanguinis quaestio ventilata
25 liberabitur innocens de ultoris manu
et reducetur per sententiam in urbem ad quam confugerat
manebitque ibi donec sacerdos magnus qui oleo sancto unctus est moriatur
26 si interfector extra fines urbium quae exulibus deputatae sunt
27 fuerit inventus
et percussus ab eo qui ultor est sanguinis
absque noxa erit qui eum occiderit
28 debuerat enim profugus usque ad mortem pontificis in urbe residere
postquam autem ille obierit homicida revertetur in terram suam
29 haec sempiterna erunt et legitima in cunctis habitationibus vestris
30 homicida sub testibus punietur
ad unius testimonium nullus condemnabitur
31 non accipietis pretium ab eo qui reus est sanguinis
statim et ipse morietur
32 exules et profugi ante mortem pontificis nullo modo in urbes suas
reverti poterunt
33 ne polluatis terram habitationis vestrae
quae insontium cruore maculatur
nec aliter expiari potest
nisi per eius sanguinem qui alterius sanguinem fuderit
34 atque ita emundabitur vestra possessio
me commorante vobiscum
ego enim sum Dominus qui habito inter filios Israhel
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them. 3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts. 4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. 5 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. 6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities. 7 So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs. 8 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 unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
9 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 11 Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. 12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. 13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. 14 Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. 15 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. 16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; 21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. 22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, 23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: 24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: 25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: 28 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. 29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoso 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. 31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. 32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.