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And the LORD said to Moses,
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"Say to the people of Israel, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
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then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.
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The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
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And the cities which you give shall be your six cities of refuge.
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You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.
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These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that any one who kills any person without intent may flee there.
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"But if he struck him down with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
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And if he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
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Or if he struck him down with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
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The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
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And if he stabbed him from hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died,
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or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow 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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"But if he stabbed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait,
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or used a stone, by which a man may die, and without seeing him cast it upon him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy, and did not seek his harm;
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then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these ordinances;
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and the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
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But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the bounds of his city of refuge to which he fled,
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and the avenger of blood finds him outside the bounds of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slays the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood.
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For the man must remain 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.