The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River, opposite Jericho, saying,

Command the Israelites to give some cities out of their inheritance to the Levites to reside in, and to give the surrounding suburbs of this city to the Levites.

This city shall belong to them for habitation, and their suburbs shall be used to feed their cattle, sheep, and all kinds of livestock, and to house their possessions.

Measure a thousand cubits from the root of the city on all sides of the outskirts that you give to the Levites.

Another two thousand cubits east, two thousand cubits south, two thousand cubits west, and two thousand cubits north are the boundaries, with the city in the middle. This will belong to them as the outskirts of the city.

Among the cities that you give to the Levites, there shall be six cities of refuge, so that those who commit murder may flee there. In addition, we also need to give them forty-two cities.

You will give the Levites a total of forty-eight cities, including the cities and their suburbs.

The Israelites shall give some cities from the land they have acquired to the Levites. Give more to those with more people, and give less to those with fewer people. Each tribe shall give the cities to the Levites according to their inheritance.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Command the Israelites, ‘Crossing the Jordan River and entering the land of Canaan,’,

Then you shall set aside several cities as escape cities for you, so that those who commit murder may flee there.

These cities can serve as cities for evading the avenger, so that the murderer will not die until he stands before the assembly to hear the judgment.

The cities you have divided out shall be six cities of refuge.

Three cities shall be divided east of the Jordan River, and three cities shall be divided in the land of Canaan, all of which shall be cities of refuge.

These six cities are to be given to the Israelites, the outsiders among them, and the sojourners as escape cities, so that anyone who accidentally kills someone can flee there.

If a person strikes someone with an iron weapon and dies, he is a murderer. Therefore, whoever kills will be put to death.

If a man is killed with a stone that can kill him, he is a murderer. Therefore, whoever kills will be put to death.

If a person is killed with a wooden tool that can kill a person, he is a murderer. Therefore, whoever kills will be put to death.

The avenger of blood will personally commit suicide, and the murderer will kill him as soon as he meets him.

If a person is pushed down by resentment, or if they lie in ambush and throw things on someone, resulting in death,

Or if he strikes someone with his hand due to hatred, resulting in death, the one who strikes will be put to death. He killed someone for a reason. Kill the avenger as soon as they meet him.

If a person does not have hatred and suddenly pushes them down, or throws objects at them without ambush,

Or when not seen, throw a stone that can kill a person onto them, resulting in death. It was originally not against him and had no intention of harming him.

The assembly shall judge between those who kill and those who avenge blood according to the laws.

The assembly shall deliver this murderer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and shall bring him back to the city of refuge. He will dwell in it until the high priest who received the anointing dies.

But whoever accidentally kills someone, at any time, if they leave the territory of the city of refuge,

The avenger of blood met him outside the city of refuge and killed him, and the avenger of blood was not guilty of bloodshed.

Because those who accidentally kill should stay in the city of escape until the high priest dies. After the death of the high priest, those who accidentally kill can return to the land where they inherited it.

This shall be a law and a decree for your generations in all your dwellings.

No matter who killed the person, they must be killed by the testimony of several witnesses, but not by the testimony of one witness.

You shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who commits a capital crime. He will be put to death.

Do not accept a ransom for those who have fled to the city of refuge, so that they may come and live in their own land before the death of the high priest.

In this way, you will not defile the place where you reside, because blood is unclean in the land. If anyone sheds human blood on the earth, except the blood of the murderer, then the land shall not be cleansed.

Do not defile the land where you reside, the land where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.