Numbers

And the Lord said to Moses in the lowlands of Moab by Jordan at Jericho,

Give orders to the children of Israel to give to the Levites, from the heritage which is theirs, towns for themselves, with land on the outskirts of the towns.

These towns are to be their living-places, with land round them for their cattle and their food and all their beasts,

Stretching from the wall of the towns a distance of a thousand cubits all round.

The measure of this space of land is to be two thousand cubits outside the town on the east, and two thousand cubits on the south and on the west and on the north, the town being in the middle. This space will be the outskirts of their towns.

And the towns which you give the Levites are to be the six safe places to which the taker of life may go in flight; and in addition you are to give them forty-two towns.

Forty-eight towns are to be given to the Levites, all with land round them.

And these towns are to be given out of the heritage of the children of Israel, taking the greater number from those who have much, and a smaller number from those who have little: everyone, in the measure of his heritage, is to give of his property to the Levites.

And the Lord said to Moses,

Say to the children of Israel, when you have gone over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

Then let certain towns be marked out as safe places to which anyone who takes the life of another in error may go in flight.

In these towns you may be safe from him who has the right of punishment; so that death may not overtake the taker of life till he has been judged by the meeting of the people.

Six of the towns which you give will be such safe places;

Three on the other side of Jordan and three in the land of Canaan, to be safe places for flight.

For the children of Israel and for the man from another country who is living among them, these six towns are to be safe places, where anyone causing the death of another through error may go in flight.

But if a man gives another man a blow with an iron instrument, causing his death, he is a taker of life and is certainly to be put to death.

Or if he gives him a blow with a stone in his hand, causing his death, he is a taker of life and is certainly to be put to death.

Or if he gave him blows with a wood instrument in his hands, causing his death, he is a taker of life and is certainly to be put to death.

He whose right it is to give punishment for blood, may himself put to death the taker of life when he comes face to face with him.

If in his hate he put a sword through him, or waiting secretly for him sent a spear or stone at him, causing his death;

Or in hate gave him blows with his hand, causing death; he who gave the death-blow is to be put to death; he is a taker of life: he whose right it is to give punishment for blood may put to death the taker of life when he comes face to face with him.

But if a man has given a wound to another suddenly and not in hate, or without design has sent something against him,