Num 35:10-34 | NASB2020 | STEP | “ Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘ When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan ,

Numbers 35:10-34

10 “ ^aSpeak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 ^bthen you shall select for yourselves cities to be your ^ccities of refuge, so that the one who commits manslaughter by ^{▼▼Lit fatally striking}killing a person ^eunintentionally may flee there. 12 ^fThe cities shall ^{▼▼Lit be to you}serve you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who commits manslaughter does not die until he stands before the congregation for ^{▼▼Lit judgment}trial. 13 So the cities which you are to provide shall be six cities of refuge for you. 14 You ⁱshall provide three cities across the Jordan, and three cities ^{▼▼Lit you shall give in}in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be a refuge for the sons of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreign resident among them; so that anyone who ^{▼▼Lit strikes}kills a person ^lunintentionally may flee there.

16 ‘ ^mBut if he struck him with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 17 And if he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he did die, he is a murderer; the murderer ⁿmust be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he did die, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 19 The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he himself shall put him to death when he meets him. 20 Now ^oif he pushed him in hatred, or he threw something at him ^{▼▼Lit in pursuit
,} ^qwith malicious intent, and as a result he died, 21 or if he struck him with his hand with hostility, and as a result he died, the one who struck him must be put to death; he is a murderer. The blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 ‘ ^rBut if he pushed him suddenly, without hostility, or threw any object at him without ^{▼▼Lit pursuit}malicious intent, 23 or had any ^{▼▼Lit stone by which he would die}deadly stone, and without looking he dropped it on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor was he seeking ^{▼▼Lit his harm}to harm him, 24 then ^vthe congregation shall judge between the one who fatally struck the victim and the blood avenger in accordance with these ordinances. 25 And the congregation shall save the one who committed manslaughter from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall return him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if at any time ^{▼▼Lit the one who committed manslaughter}he goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he flees, 27 and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills ^{▼▼Lit the one who committed manslaughter}him, he ^{▼▼Lit he has no bloodguilt}will not be guilty of bloodshed, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the one who committed manslaughter may return to the land of his property.

29 ‘These things shall be a ^zstatutory ordinance for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

30 ‘ ^aaIf anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the ^{▼▼Lit mouth}testimony of witnesses, but ^acno person shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is ^{▼▼Lit guilty}condemned to death, but he must be put to death. 32 And you shall not accept a ransom for one who has fled to his city of refuge, so that he may return to live in the land ^{▼▼Or until}before the death of the priest. 33 ^afSo you shall not defile the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except ^agby the blood of the one who shed it. 34 So you shall not ^ahdefile the land in which you live, in the midst of which ^aiI dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”