1
Now the
LORD spoke to
Moses in the
plains of
Moab by the
Jordan opposite
Jericho,
saying,
!eD.r;y -l;[ b'aw{m t{b.r;[.B h,v{m -l,a h'wh.y reB;d.y;w ? r{mael w{xer.y
2
"Command the
sons of
Israel that they
give to the
Levites from the
inheritance of their
possession cities to
live in; and you shall
give to the
Levites pasture lands around the
cities.
t;l]x;Nim ~iYiw.l;l .Wn.t'n.w lea'r.fIy yen.B -t,a w;c ? ~,hyet{byib.s ~yir'[,l v'r.gim.W t,b'v'l ~yir'[ ~'t'ZUx]a ? ~iYiw.l;l .Wn.TiT
3
"The
cities shall be
theirs to
live in; and their
pasture lands shall be for their
cattle and for their
herds and for
all their
beasts.
.Wy.hIy ~,hyev.r.gim.W t,b'v'l ~,h'l ~yir'[,h .Wy'h.w ? ~'t'Y;x l{k.l.W ~'vUk.ril.w ~'T.m,h.bil
4
"The
pasture lands of the
cities which you shall
give to the
Levites shall extend from the
wall of the
city outward a
thousand cubits around.
ryiQim ~iYiw.l;l .Wn.TiT r,v]a ~yir'[,h yev.r.gim.W ? byib's h'M;a @,l,a h'c.Wx'w ryi['h
5
"You shall also
measure outside * 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, with the
city in the
center.
This shall
become theirs as
pasture lands for the
cities.
~Iy;P.l;a h'm.deq -t;a.P -t,a ryi['l #.Wxim ~,t{D;m.W ? -t;a.P -t,a.w h'M;a'B ~Iy;P.l;a b,g,n -t;a.P -t,a.w h'M;a'B ? ~Iy;P.l;a !w{p'c t;a.P tea.w h'M;a'B ~Iy;P.l;a ~'y ? yev.r.gim ~,h'l h,y.hIy h,z .$,w'T;B ryi['h.w h'M;a'B ? ~yir'[,h
6
"The
cities which you shall
give to the
Levites shall be the
six cities of
refuge,
which you shall
give for the
manslayer to
flee to; and in
addition to them you shall
give forty-two * cities.
yer'[ -vev tea ~iYiw.l;l .Wn.TiT r,v]a ~yir'[,h tea.w ? ~,hyel][;w ;xec{r'h h'M'v sUn'l .Wn.TiT r,v]a j'l.qiM;h ? ryi[ ~Iy;T.v.W ~yi['B.r;a .Wn.TiT
7
"All the
cities which you shall
give to the
Levites shall be
forty-eight * cities, together with their
pasture lands.
~yi['B.r;a ~iYiw.l;l .Wn.TiT r,v]a ~yir'[,h -l'K ? !,hyev.r.gim -t,a.w !,h.t,a ryi[ h,n{m.v.W
8
"As for the
cities which you shall
give from the
possession of the
sons of
Israel, you shall
take more from the
larger and you shall
take less from the
smaller;
each shall
give some of his
cities to the
Levites in
proportion to his
possession which he
inherits."
lea'r.fIy -yen.B t;ZUx]aem .Wn.TiT r,v]a ~yir'[,h.w ? vyia .Wjyi[.m;T j;[.m;h teaem.W .WB.r;T b;r'h teaem ? ~iYiw.l;l wy'r'[em !eTIy .Wl'x.nIy r,v]a w{t'l]x;n yip.K
9
Then the
LORD spoke to
Moses,
saying,
r{maeL h,v{m -l,a h'wh.y reB;d.y;w
10
"Speak to the
sons of
Israel and
say to them,
'When you
cross the
Jordan into the
land of
Canaan,
yiK ~,hel]a 'T.r;m'a.w lea'r.fIy yen.B -l,a reB;D ? !;['n.K h'c.r;a !eD.r;Y;h -t,a ~yir.b{[ ~,T;a
11
then you shall
select for yourselves
cities to be your
cities of
refuge, that the
manslayer who has
killed any
person unintentionally may
flee there.
h'ny,y.hiT j'l.qim yer'[ ~yir'[ ~,k'l ~,tyir.qih.w ? h'g'g.viB v,p,n -heK;m ;xec{r h'M'v s'n.w ~,k'l
12
'The
cities shall be to you as a
refuge from the
avenger, so that the
manslayer will not
die until he
stands before the
congregation for
trial.
t.Wm'y a{l.w lea{Gim j'l.qim.l ~yir'[,h ~,k'l .Wy'h.w ? j'P.viM;l h'de['h yen.pil w{d.m'[ -d;[ ;xec{r'h
13
'The
cities which you are to
give shall be your
six cities of
refuge.
h'ny,y.hiT j'l.qim yer'[ -vev .WneTiT r,v]a ~yir'[,h.w ? ~,k'l
14
'You shall
give three cities across * the
Jordan and
three cities in the
land of
Canaan; they are to be
cities of
refuge.
tea.w !eD.r;Y;l r,be[em .Wn.TiT ~yir'[,h v{l.v tea ? j'l.qim yer'[ !;['n.K #,r,a.B .Wn.TiT ~yir'[,h v{l.v ? h'ny,y.hiT
15
'These six cities shall be for
refuge for the
sons of
Israel, and for the
alien and for the
sojourner among them; that
anyone who
kills a
person unintentionally may
flee there.
h'ny,y.hiT ~'kw{t.B b'vw{T;l.w reG;l.w lea'r.fIy yen.bil ? -heK;m -l'K h'M'v s.Wn'l j'l.qim.l h,Lea'h ~yir'[,h -vev ? h'g'g.viB v,p,n
16
'But
if he
struck him
down with an
iron object, so that he
died, he is a
murderer; the
murderer shall
surely be
put to
death.
a.Wh ;xec{r t{m'Y;w .Wh'Kih l,z.r;b yil.kiB -mia.w ? ;xec{r'h t;m.Wy tw{m
17
'If he
struck him
down with a
stone in the
hand, by
which he will
die, and as a result he
died, he is a
murderer; the
murderer shall
surely be
put to
death.
t{m'Y;w .Wh'Kih H'B t.Wm'y -r,v]a d'y !,b,a.B ~ia.w ? ;xec{r'h t;m.Wy tw{m a.Wh ;xec{r
18
'Or if he
struck him with a
wooden object in the
hand, by
which he might
die, and as a result he
died, he is a
murderer; the
murderer shall
surely be
put to
death.
.Wh'Kih w{B t.Wm'y -r,v]a d'y -ce[ yil.kiB w{a ? ;xec{r'h t;m.Wy tw{m a.Wh ;xec{r t{m'Y;w
19
'The
blood avenger himself shall
put the
murderer to
death; he shall
put him to
death when he
meets him.
w{b -w{[.gip.B ;xec{r'h -t,a tyim'y a.Wh ~'D;h lea{G ? .WN,tyim.y a.Wh
20
'If he
pushed him of
hatred,
or threw something at him
lying in
wait and as a result he
died,
wy'l'[ .$yil.vih -w{a .WN,p'D.h,y h'a.nif.B -mia.w ? t{m'Y;w h'Yid.ciB
21
or if he
struck him
down with his
hand in
enmity, and as a result he
died, the one who
struck him shall
surely be
put to
death, he is a
murderer; the
blood avenger shall
put the
murderer to
death when he
meets him.
t;m.Wy -tw{m t{m'Y;w w{d'y.b .Wh'Kih h'byea.b w{a ? ;xec{r'h -t,a tyim'y ~'D;h lea{G a.Wh ;xec{r h,K;M;h ? w{b -w{[.gip.B
22
'But
if he
pushed him
suddenly without enmity,
or threw something * at him
without lying in
wait,
.$yil.vih -w{a w{p'd]h h'byea -a{l.B [;t,p.B -mia.w ? h'Yid.c a{l.B yil.K -l'K wy'l'[
23
or with
any deadly * object of
stone, and
without seeing it
dropped on him so that he
died, while he was not his
enemy nor seeking his
injury,
tw{a.r a{l.B H'B t.Wm'y -r,v]a !,b,a -l'k.b w{a ? w{l beyw{a -a{l a.Wh.w t{m'Y;w wy'l'[ leP;Y;w ? w{t'['r veQ;b.m a{l.w
24
then the
congregation shall
judge between the
slayer and the
blood avenger according to
these ordinances.
~'D;h lea{G !yeb.W h,K;M;h !yeB h'de['h .Wj.p'v.w ? h,Lea'h ~yij'P.viM;h l;[
25
'The
congregation shall
deliver the
manslayer from the
hand of the
blood avenger, and the
congregation shall
restore him to his
city of
refuge to
which he
fled; and he shall
live in it
until the
death of the
high priest who was
anointed with the
holy oil.
~'D;h lea{G d;Yim ;xec{r'h -t,a h'de['h .WlyiCih.w ? s'n -r,v]a w{j'l.qim ryi[ -l,a h'de['h w{t{a .Wbyiveh.w ? x;v'm -r,v]a l{d'G;h !eh{K;h tw{m -d;[ H'B b;v'y.w h'M'v ? v,d{Q;h !,m,v.B w{t{a
26
'But
if the
manslayer at
any time goes beyond the
border of his
city of
refuge to
which he may
flee,
ryi[ l.Wb.G -t,a ;xec{r'h aecey a{c'y -mia.w ? h'M'v s.Wn'y r,v]a w{j'l.qim
27
and the
blood avenger finds him
outside * the
border of his
city of
refuge, and the
blood avenger kills the
manslayer, he will not be guilty of
blood
ryi[ l.Wb.gil #.Wxim ~'D;h lea{G w{t{a a'c'm.W ? !yea ;xec{r'h -t,a ~'D;h lea{G x;c'r.w w{j'l.qim ? ~'D w{l
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 shall
return to the
land of his
possession.
!eh{K;h tw{m -d;[ bevey w{j'l.qim ryi[.b yiK ? ;xec{r'h b.Wv'y l{d'G;h !eh{K;h tw{m yer]x;a.w l{d'G;h ? w{t'ZUx]a #,r,a -l,a
29
'These things shall be for a
statutory ordinance to you throughout your
generations in
all your
dwellings.
~,kyet{r{d.l j'P.vim t;QUx.l ~,k'l h,Lea .Wy'h.w ? ~,kyet{b.vw{m l{k.B
30
'If
anyone kills a
person, the
murderer shall be
put to
death at the
evidence of
witnesses, but
no person shall be
put to
death on the
testimony of
one witness.
;xec{r'h -t,a x;c.rIy ~yide[ yip.l v,p,n -heK;m -l'K ? t.Wm'l v,p,n.b h,n][;y -a{l d'x,a de[.w
31
'Moreover, you shall not
take ransom for the
life of a
murderer who is
guilty of
death, but he shall
surely be
put to
death.
a.Wh -r,v]a ;xec{r v,p,n.l r,p{k .Wx.qit -a{l.w ? t'm.Wy tw{m -yiK t.Wm'l ['v'r
32
'You shall not
take ransom for him who has
fled to his
city of
refuge, that he may
return to
live in the
land before the
death of the
priest.
w{j'l.qim ryi[ -l,a s.Wn'l r,p{k .Wx.qit -a{l.w ? !eh{K;h tw{m -d;[ #,r'a'B t,b,v'l b.Wv'l
33
'So you shall not
pollute the
land in
which you are; for
blood pollutes the
land and
no expiation can be
made for the
land for the
blood that is
shed on it,
except * by the
blood of him who
shed it.
H'B ~,T;a r,v]a #,r'a'h -t,a ].Wpyin]x;t -a{l.w ? #,r'a'l.w #,r'a'h -t,a @yin]x;y a.Wh ~'D;h yiK ? ~ia -yiK H'B -.k;PUv r,v]a ~'D;l r;PUk.y -a{l ? w{k.p{v ~;d.B
34
'You shall not
defile the
land in
which you
live, in the
midst of
which I
dwell; for I the
LORD am
dwelling in the
midst of the
sons of
Israel.' "
~yib.v{y ~,T;a r,v]a #,r'a'h -t,a aeM;j.t a{l.w ? h'wh.y yin]a yiK H'kw{t.B !ek{v yin]a r,v]a H'B ? lea'r.fIy yen.B .$w{t.B !ek{v