Deuteronomy 19:10

10 Do this, so that innocent people will not die and so that you will not be guilty of putting them to death in the land that the Lord is giving you.

Deuteronomy 19:10 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 19:10

That innocent blood be not shed
As it would be if such a slayer as before described was killed by the avenger of blood, before he could get to one of these cities of refuge, or supposing that they had not bean appointed, or a sufficient number of them:

which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance;
to be enjoyed by them and their children after them, provided they did not defile it by their sins, but observed the commands of the Lord to obey them and

so blood be upon thee;
the guilt of innocent blood crying for vengeance, as would be the case if such a man's blood was shed as before described; it seems as if the guilt would rather affect the whole land, for not having a proper provision of "asylums" for such persons, than the avenger of blood.

Deuteronomy 19:10 In-Context

8 "When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he told your ancestors he would, and gives you all the land he has promised,
9 then you are to select three more cities. (He will give you this land if you do everything that I command you today and if you love the Lord your God and live according to his teachings.)
10 Do this, so that innocent people will not die and so that you will not be guilty of putting them to death in the land that the Lord is giving you.
11 "But suppose you deliberately murder your enemy in cold blood and then escape to one of those cities for protection.
12 In that case, the leaders of your own town are to send for you and hand you over to the relative responsible for taking revenge for the murder, so that you may be put to death.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.