Numbers 35 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Cities for the Levites

1 Now Yahweh ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872 in the plains ^H6160 of Moab ^H4124 by the Jordan ^H3383 opposite Jericho ^H3405, saying ^H559,

2 “Command ^H6680 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 that they give ^H5414 to the Levites ^H3881 from the inheritance ^H5159 of their possession ^H272 cities ^H5892 to live ^H3427 in; and you shall give ^H5414 to the Levites ^H3881 pasture ^H4054 lands ^H4054 around ^H5439 the cities ^H5892. 3 And the cities ^H5892 shall be theirs ^H1992 to live ^H3427 in; and their pasture ^H4054 lands ^H4054 shall be for their cattle ^H929 and for their herds ^H7399 and for all ^H3605 their beasts ^H2416.

4 “And the pasture ^H4054 lands ^H4054 of the cities ^H5892 which ^H834 you shall give ^H5414 to the Levites ^H3881 shall extend from the wall ^H7023 of the city ^H5892 [fn]outward ^H2351 [fn]one thousand ^H505 cubits ^H520 around ^H5439. 5 You shall also measure ^H4058 outside ^H4480 H2351 the city ^H5892 on the east ^H6924 side ^H6285 [fn]two thousand ^H505 cubits ^H520, and on the south ^H5045 side ^H6285 two thousand ^H505 cubits ^H520, and on the west ^H3220 side ^H6285 two thousand ^H505 cubits ^H520, and on the north ^H6828 side ^H6285 two thousand ^H505 cubits ^H520, with the city ^H5892 in the center ^H8432. This ^H2088 shall become ^H1961 theirs ^H1992 as pasture ^H4054 lands ^H4054 for the cities ^H5892.

Cities of Refuge

6 And the cities ^H5892 which ^H834 you shall give ^H5414 to the Levites ^H3881 shall be the six ^H8337 cities ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733, which ^H834 you shall give ^H5414 for the manslayer ^H7523 to flee ^H5127 to; and in ^H5921 addition ^H5921 to ^H5921 them you shall give ^H5414 forty-two ^H705 H8147 cities ^H5892. 7 All ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 which ^H834 you shall give ^H5414 to the Levites ^H3881 shall be forty-eight ^H705 H8083 cities ^H5892, [fn]together with their pasture ^H4054 lands ^H4054. 8 Now as for the cities ^H5892 which ^H834 you shall give ^H5414 from the possession ^H272 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, you shall take ^H7235 more ^H7235 from the larger ^H7227, and you shall take ^H4591 less ^H4591 from the smaller ^H4592; each ^H376 shall give ^H5414 some ^H4480 of his cities ^H5892 to the Levites ^H3881 in proportion ^H6310 to his possession ^H5159 which ^H834 he inherits ^H5157.”

9 Then Yahweh ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872, saying ^H559, 10 “Speak ^H1696 to the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 and say ^H559 to them, ‘When ^H3588 you cross ^H5674 the Jordan ^H3383 into the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667, 11 then you shall select ^H7136 for yourselves cities ^H5892 to be your cities ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733, that the manslayer ^H7523 who has struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 any person ^H5315 unintentionally ^H7684 may flee ^H5127 there ^H8033. 12 And the cities ^H5892 shall be for you as a refuge ^H4733 from the avenger ^H1350, so that the manslayer ^H7523 will not die ^H4191 until ^H5704 he stands ^H5975 before ^H6440 the congregation ^H5712 for judgment ^H4941. 13 And the cities ^H5892 which ^H834 you are to give ^H5414 shall be your six ^H8337 cities ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733. 14 You shall give ^H5414 three ^H7969 cities ^H5892 across ^H4480 H5676 the Jordan ^H3383 and three ^H7969 cities ^H5892 [fn]in the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667; they are to be cities ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733. 15 These ^H428 six ^H8337 cities ^H5892 shall be for refuge ^H4733 for the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 and for the sojourner ^H1616 and for the foreign ^H8453 resident ^H8453 among ^H8432 them; that anyone ^H3605 who strikes ^H5221 a person ^H5315 down ^H5221 unintentionally ^H7684 may flee ^H5127 there ^H8033.

16 ‘But if ^H518 he struck ^H5221 him down ^H5221 with an iron ^H1270 object ^H3627, so that he died ^H4191, he is a murderer ^H7523; the murderer ^H7523 shall surely ^H4191 be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 17 And if ^H518 he struck ^H5221 him down ^H5221 with a stone ^H68 in the hand ^H3027, by which ^H834 he would die ^H4191, and as a result he died ^H4191, he is a murderer ^H7523; the murderer ^H7523 shall surely ^H4191 be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 18 Or ^H176 if he struck ^H5221 him with a wooden ^H6086 object ^H3627 in the hand ^H3027, by which ^H834 he would die ^H4191, and as a result he died ^H4191, he is a murderer ^H7523; the murderer ^H7523 shall surely ^H4191 be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 19 The blood ^H1818 avenger ^H1350 himself ^H1931 shall put ^H4191 the murderer ^H7523 to death ^H4191; he shall put ^H4191 him to ^H4191 death ^H4191 when he meets ^H6293 him. 20 And if ^H518 he pushed ^H1920 him of hatred ^H8135 or ^H176 threw ^H7993 something at him lying ^H6660 in wait ^H6660 and as a result he died ^H4191, 21 or ^H176 if he struck ^H5221 him down ^H5221 with his hand ^H3027 in enmity ^H342, and as a result he died ^H4191, the one who struck ^H5221 him shall surely ^H4191 be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191; he is a murderer ^H7523; the blood ^H1818 avenger ^H1350 shall put ^H4191 the murderer ^H7523 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 when he meets ^H6293 him.

22 ‘But if ^H518 he pushed ^H1920 him suddenly ^H6621 without ^H3808 enmity ^H342 or ^H176 threw ^H7993 something ^H3605 H3627 at him without ^H3808 lying ^H6660 in wait ^H6660, 23 or ^H176 with any ^H3605 stone ^H68—by which ^H834 one might die ^H4191, yet without ^H3808 seeing ^H7200—and it fell ^H5307 upon him, and he died ^H4191, but he was not his enemy ^H340 nor ^H3808 seeking ^H1245 his injury ^H7451, 24 then the congregation ^H5712 shall judge ^H8199 between ^H996 the [fn]slayer ^H5221 and the blood ^H1818 avenger ^H1350 according ^H5921 to these ^H428 legal judgments ^H4941. 25 And the congregation ^H5712 shall deliver ^H5337 the manslayer ^H7523 from the hand ^H3027 of the blood ^H1818 avenger ^H1350, and the congregation ^H5712 shall restore ^H7725 him to his city ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733 to which ^H834 he fled ^H5127; and he shall live ^H3427 in it until ^H5704 the death ^H4194 of the high ^H1419 priest ^H3548 who ^H834 was anointed ^H4886 with the holy ^H6944 oil ^H8081. 26 But if ^H518 the manslayer ^H7523 at any ^H3318 time ^H3318 goes ^H3318 beyond ^H3318 the border ^H1366 of his city ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733 to which ^H834 he may flee ^H5127, 27 and the blood ^H1818 avenger ^H1350 finds ^H4672 him outside ^H4480 H2351 the border ^H1366 of his city ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733, and the blood ^H1818 avenger ^H1350 kills ^H7523 the manslayer ^H7523, he will not be guilty of blood ^H1818 28 because ^H3588 he should have remained ^H3427 in his city ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733 until ^H5704 the death ^H4194 of the high ^H1419 priest ^H3548. But after ^H310 the death ^H4194 of the high ^H1419 priest ^H3548 the manslayer ^H7523 shall return ^H7725 to the land ^H776 of his possession ^H272.

29 ‘And these ^H428 things ^H428 shall be for a statutory ^H2708 judgment ^H4941 to you throughout your generations ^H1755 in all ^H3605 your places of habitation ^H4186.

30 ‘If anyone ^H3605 strikes ^H5221 down ^H5221 a person ^H5315, the murderer ^H7523 shall be put ^H7523 to ^H7523 death ^H7523 at the mouth ^H6310 of witnesses ^H5707, but no ^H3808 person ^H5315 shall be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 on ^H6030 the ^H6030 testimony ^H6030 of one ^H259 witness ^H5707. 31 Moreover, you shall not take ^H3947 ransom ^H3724 for the life ^H5315 of a murderer ^H7523 who ^H834 is guilty ^H7563 of death ^H4191, but he shall surely ^H4191 be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 32 And you shall not take ^H3947 ransom ^H3724 for him who has fled ^H5127 to his city ^H5892 of refuge ^H4733, that he may return ^H7725 to live ^H3427 in the land ^H776 [fn]before ^H5704 the death ^H4194 of the priest ^H3548. 33 So you shall not pollute ^H2610 the land ^H776 in which ^H834 you are; for blood ^H1818 pollutes ^H2610 the land ^H776, and no ^H3808 propitiation ^H3722 can be made ^H3722 for the land ^H776 for the blood ^H1818 that is shed ^H8210 on it, except ^H3588 H518 by the blood ^H1818 of him who shed ^H8210 it. 34 And you shall not defile ^H2930 the land ^H776 in which ^H834 you live ^H3427, in the midst ^H8432 of which ^H834 I dwell ^H7931; for I Yahweh ^H3068 am dwelling ^H7931 in the midst ^H8432 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478.’”