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New International Version (NIV) |
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1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying:
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1 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses,
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2 "Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities.
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2 "Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns.
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3 They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals.
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3 Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock.
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4 The common-land of the cities which you shall give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.
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4 "The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall.
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5 And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.
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5 Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.
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6 Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities.
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6 "Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.
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7 So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land.
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7 In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands.
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8 And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives."
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8 The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few."
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9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
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9 Then the LORD said to Moses:
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10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
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10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,
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11 then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.
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11 select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee.
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12 They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.
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12 They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly.
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13 And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge.
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13 These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.
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14 You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge.
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14 Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge.
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15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.
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15 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.
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16 'But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
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16 " 'If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
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17 And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
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17 Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
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18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
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18 Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
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19 The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
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19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
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20 If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies,
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20 If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies
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21 or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
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21 or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
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22 'However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait,
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22 " 'But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally
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23 or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,
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23 or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him,
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24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.
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24 the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations.
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25 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
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25 The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
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26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,
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26 " 'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled
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27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,
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27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder.
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28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.
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28 The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property.
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29 'And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
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29 " 'These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.
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30 Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.
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30 " 'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
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31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.
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31 " 'Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death.
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32 And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.
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32 " 'Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow him to go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.
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33 So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
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33 " 'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
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34 Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.' "
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34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.' "
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| Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (New King James Version) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
