Numbers 35:1-34

1 Eight and fourtie Cities for the Leuites with their suburbs, and measure thereof.

6 Sixe of them are to be cities of refuge.

9 The lawes of murder.

31 No satisfaction for murder.

1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the plaines of Moab by Iordane, neere Iericho, saying,

2 [Note: Joshua 21:2.] Command the children of Israel, that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritance of their possession, cities to dwell in: and yee shall giue also vnto the Leuites suburbs for the cities round about them.

3 And the cities shall they haue to dwell in, and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattell, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

4 And the suburbs of the cities, which yee shall giue vnto the Leuites, shall reach from the wall of the citie, and outward, a thousand cubites round about.

5 And ye shall measure from without the city on the Eastside two thousand cubites, and on the Southside two thousand cubites, and on the Westside

[Cities of refuge.]

two thousand cubites, & on the Northside two thousand cubites: and the citie shall be in the midst; this shalbe to them the suburbs of the cities.

6 And among the cities which yee shal giue vnto the Leuites, there shalbe [Note: Deuteronomy 4:41; Joshua 20:2; Joshua 21:3.] sixe cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that hee may flee thither: And to them ye shall [Note: Hebrew: aboue them ye shall giue.] adde fourty and two cities.

7 So all the cities which ye shall giue to the Leuites, shall be fourty and eight cities: them shall yee giue with their suburbs.

8 And the cities which ye shal giue, shalbe of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that haue many ye shall giue many; but from them that haue few, ye shall giue few. Euery one shal giue of his cities vnto the Leuites, according to his inheritance which [Note: Hebrew: they inherite.] he inheriteth.

9 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

10 Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, [Note: Deuteronomy 19:2; Joshua 20:2.] When ye bee come ouer Iordane, into 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 [Note: Hebrew: by error.] at vnawares.

12 And they shall be vnto you cities for refuge from the auenger, that the man-slayer die not, vntill he stand before the Congregation in iudgement.

13 And of these cities which ye shall giue, sixe cities shall ye haue for refuge.

14 Yee shall giue three cities on this side Iordane, and three cities shall yee giue in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

15 These sixe cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the soiourner among them: that euery one that killeth any person vnawares, may flee thither.

16 [Note: Exodus 21:14.] And if he smite him with an instrument of Iron, (so that he die,) hee is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 And if he smite him [Note: Hebrew: with a stone of the hand.] with throwing a stone, (wherewith hee 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 handweapon of wood, (wherewith he may die) and he die, hee is a murderer: the

[Lawes for shedding of blood.]

murderer shall surely be put to death.

19 The reuenger of blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

20 [Note: Deuteronomy 19:11.] But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurle at him by laying of waite that he die,

21 Or in enmitie smite him with his hand, that he die: hee that smote him shall surely be put to death, for hee is a murderer: the reuenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when hee meeteth him.

22 But if hee thrust him suddenly [Note: Exodus 21:13.] without enmitie, or haue cast vpon him any thing without laying of wait,

23 Or with any stone wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it vpon him, that he die, and was not his enemie, neither sought his harme:

24 Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer, and the reuenger of blood, according to these iudgements.

25 And the Congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hand of the reuenger of blood, and the Congregation shal restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it vnto the death of the high Priest, which was annoynted with the holy oyle.

26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the citie of his refuge, whither he was fled:

27 And the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the citie of his refuge, and the reuenger of blood kill the slayer, he [Note: i Hebrew: no blood shalbe to him.] shall not be guiltie of blood:

28 Because he should haue remained in the citie of his refuge, vntill the death of the high Priest: but after the death of the hie Priest, the slayer shal returne into the land of his possession.

29 So these things shall be for a statute of iudgment vnto you, thorowout your generations in al your dwellings.

30 Who so killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death, by the [Note: Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; Hebrews 10:28.] mouth of witnesses: but one witnesse shall not testifie against any person, to cause him to die.

31 Moreouer, yee shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is [Note: Hebrew: faulty to die.] guiltie of death, but he shalbe surely put to death.

32 And yee shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the citie of his refuge,

[Lawes for shedding of blood.]

that hee should come againe to dwell in the land, vntil the death of the Priest.

33 So ye shall not pollute the lande wherein ye are: for blood, it defileth the land: and the [Note: Hebrew: there can be no expiation for the land.] land cannot bee cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

34 Defile not therefore the lande which yee shall inhabite, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.