King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
1
In the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho the Lord said to Moses,
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.
2
"Tell the Israelites that from the property they receive they must give the Levites some cities to live in and pasture land around the cities.
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.
3
These cities will belong to the Levites, and they will live there. The pasture land will be for their cattle and all their other animals.
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.
4
The pasture land is to extend outward from the city walls five hundred yards in each direction,
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.
5
so that there is a square area measuring one thousand yards on each side, with the city in the middle.
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.
6
You are to give the Levites six cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally. In addition, give them forty-two other 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.
7
with their pasture land, making a total of forty-eight.
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.
8
The number of Levite cities in each tribe is to be determined according to the size of its territory."
9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
9
The Lord told Moses
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
10
to say to the people of Israel: "When you cross the Jordan River and enter 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.
11
you are to choose cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally.
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.
12
There you will be safe from the dead person's relative who seeks revenge. No one accused of manslaughter is to be put to death without a public trial.
13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
13
Choose six cities,
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.
14
three east of the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan.
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.
15
These will serve as cities of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners who are temporary or permanent residents. Anyone who kills someone accidentally can escape to one of them.
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.
16
"If, however, any of you use a weapon of iron or stone or wood to kill someone, you are guilty of murder and are to 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.
19
The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.
20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
20
"If you hate someone and kill him by pushing him down or by throwing something at him
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.
21
or by striking him with your fist, you are guilty of murder and are to be put to death. The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.
22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
22
"But suppose you accidentally kill someone you do not hate, whether by pushing him down or by throwing something at him.
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:
23
Or suppose that, without looking, you throw a stone that kills someone whom you did not intend to hurt and who was not your enemy.
24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
24
In such cases the community shall judge in your favor and not in favor of the dead person's relative who is seeking revenge.
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.
25
You are guilty only of manslaughter, and the community is to rescue you from the dead person's relative, and they are to return you to the city of refuge to which you had escaped. You must live there until the death of the man who is then High Priest.
26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
26
If you leave the city of refuge to which you have escaped
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:
27
and if the dead person's relative finds you and kills you, this act of revenge is not murder.
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.
28
Any of you guilty of manslaughter must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the High Priest, but after that you may return home.
29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
29
These rules apply to you and your descendants wherever you may live.
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.
30
"Those accused of murder may be found guilty and put to death only on the evidence of two or more witnesses; the evidence of one witness is not sufficient to support an accusation of murder.
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.
31
Murderers must be put to death. They cannot escape this penalty by the payment of money.
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.
32
If they have fled to a city of refuge, do not allow them to make a payment in order to return home before the death of the High 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.
33
If you did this, you would defile the land where you are living. Murder defiles the land, and except by the death of the murderer there is no way to perform the ritual of purification for the land where someone has been murdered.
34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.
34
Do not defile the land where you are living, because I am the Lord and I live among the people of Israel."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.