King James Version, Updated™

(1) The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,

(2) "Command the children of Israel, that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and YOU shall give also to the Levites suburbs for the cities around them.

(3) The cities they shall have to dwell in, and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their livestock, and for all their beasts.

(4) The suburbs of the cities, which YOU shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward 1,000 cubits all around.

(5) And YOU shall measure from outside the city on the east side 2,000 cubits, and on the south side 2,000 cubits, and on the west side 2,000 cubits, and on the north side 2,000 cubits; the city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as the suburbs of the cities.

(6) Among the cities which YOU shall give to the Levites there shall be six cities of refuge, which YOU shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee there; and to them YOU shall add 42 cities.

(7) So all the cities which YOU shall give to the Levites shall be 48 cities; YOU shall give them with their suburbs.

(8) And the cities which YOU shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel; from those who have many YOU shall give many; but from those that have few YOU shall give few; everyone shall give from their cities to the Levites according to their inheritance which was inherited."

(9) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

(10) "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When YOU come over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

(11) then YOU shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for YOU, that the slayer who kills any person in error may flee there.

(12) They shall be to YOU cities of refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer does not die, until he stands before the congregation in judgment.

(13) And of the cities which YOU shall give, YOU shall have six cities of refuge.

(14) YOU shall give three cities on this side of the Jordan, and YOU shall give three cities in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

(15) These six cities shall be a refuge, for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the foreigner among them, that everyone that kills any person in error may flee there.

(16) But if he strikes him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

(17) And if he strikes him by throwing a stone, by which he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

(18) Or if he strikes him with a hand weapon of wood, by which he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

(19) The avenger of blood himself shall kill the murderer; when he meets him, he shall kill him.

(20) But if he thrust him out of hatred, or hurls something at him while lying in wait, so that he dies,

(21) Or in hatred strike him with his hand, so that he dies, he that struck him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall kill the murderer, when he meets him.

(22) But if he thrust him suddenly without hatred, or throws anything on him without lying in wait,

(23) or with a stone, by which a man could die, not seeing him, but throws it on him, so that he dies, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm,

(24) then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

(25) The congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, where he had fled; and he shall abide in it until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

(26) But if the slayer at any time goes outside the border of the city of his refuge, where he had fled,

(27) and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,

(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 to the land of his possession.

(29) So these things shall be for a statute of judgment to YOU throughout YOUR generations in all YOUR dwellings.

(30) Whoso kills any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the speech of witnesses; but just one witness who testifies against any person shall not be enough to cause him to die.

(31) Moreover YOU shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.

(32) And YOU shall take no ransom for him who has fled to the city of his refuge, so that he is allowed to return to dwell in the land, before the death of the priest.

(33) So YOU shall not pollute the land in which YOU live; for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed on it, but by the blood of him who shed it.

(34) Therefore do not defile the land which YOU inhabit, in which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.' "