21
or if you beat your enemy to death with your bare hands, you must be put to death. You are a murderer. The relative who can avenge the death must kill you when he catches up with you, because you are a murderer.
22
"But suppose you accidentally kill someone who wasn't your enemy. Maybe you shoved him or threw something at him but didn't mean to kill him.
23
Or suppose you drop a big stone, and someone is killed. However, you didn't know the person was there, he wasn't your enemy, and you weren't trying to harm him.
24
Then the community must use these rules in order to decide if you [are innocent] or if the dead person's relative can avenge the death.
25
[If you are innocent,] the community must protect you from that relative. They must take you back to the city of refuge you fled to. You must live there until the death of the chief priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
26
"But don't go outside the city of refuge you fled to.
27
If the relative who can avenge the death finds you outside the city of refuge and kills you, the relative is not guilty of murder.
28
Accused murderers must stay in their city of refuge until the death of the chief priest. They may go back to their own property only after his death.
29
"These will be the rules for future generations wherever you live.
30
"Whoever kills another person will be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of more than one witness. No one can be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
31
"Never accept a cash payment in exchange for the life of a convicted murderer who has been given the death penalty. Murderers must be put to death.