The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 35 -

(Joshua 21:1–45; 1 Chronicles 6:54–81)

And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the plaine of Moab by Iorden, toward Iericho, saying,

Commande ye children of Israel, that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritace of their possession, cities to dwell in: yee shall giue also vnto the Leuites the suburbes of the cities round about them.

So they shall haue the cities to dwell in, and their suburbes shall be for their cattell, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.

And the suburbes of the cities, which ye shall giue vnto the Leuites, from the wall of the citie outward, shalbe a thousand cubites round about.

And yee shall measure without the citie of the Eastside, two thousand cubites: and of the Southside, two thousand cubites: and of the Westside, two thousand cubites: and of ye Northside, two thousand cubites: and the citie shalbe in ye middes. this shalbe the measure of the suburbes of their cities.

And of the cities which yee shall giue vnto the Leuites, there shalbe sixe cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint, that he which killeth, may flee thither: and to them yee shall adde two and fourtie cities more.

All the cities which yee shall giue to the Leuites, shalbe eight and fourtie cities: them shall ye giue with their suburbes.

And concerning the cities which yee shall giue, of the possession of the children of Israel: of many ye shall take more, and of few ye shall take lesse: euery one shall giue of his cities vnto the Leuites, according to his inheritance, which hee inheriteth.

Six Cities of Refuge

(Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Deuteronomy 19:1–14; Joshua 20:1–9)

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, When ye be come ouer Iorden into the land of Canaan,

Ye shall appoint you cities, to bee cities of refuge for you, that the slayer, which slayeth any person vnwares, may flee thither.

And these cities shalbe for you a refuge from the auenger, that he which killeth, die not, vntill he stand before the Congregation in iudgement.

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

Ye shall appoint three on this side Iorden, and ye shall appoint three cities in the lande of Canaan which shalbe cities of refuge.

These six cities shalbe a refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that dwelleth among you, that euery one which killeth any person vnwares, may flee thither.

And if one smite another with an instrument of yron that hee die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death.

Also if hee smite him by casting a stone, wherewith hee may be slaine, and he die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death.

Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may be slaine, if he die, he is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death.

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

But if hee thrust him of hate, or hurle at him by laying of wait, that he die,

Or smite him through enimitie with his hand, that he die, he that smote him shall die ye death: for hee is a murtherer: the reuenger of the blood shall slay the murtherer when he meeteth him.

But if he pusshed him vnaduisedly, and not of hatred, or cast vpon him any thing, without laying of waite,

Or any stone (whereby he might be slaine) and sawe him not, or caused it to fall vpon him, and he die, and was not his enemie, neither sought him any harme,

Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood according to these lawes.

And the Congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hande of the auenger of blood, and the Congregation shall restore him vnto the citie of his refuge, whither hee was fled: and hee shall abide there vnto the death of the hie Priest, which is anointed with the holy oyle.

But if the slayer come without the borders of the citie of his refuge, whither he was fled,

And the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the citie of his refuge, and the reueger of blood slay ye murtherer, he shalbe giltles,

Because he should haue remained in the citie of his refuge, vntill the death of the hie Priest: and after the death of the hie Priest, the slayer shall returne vnto the land of his possession.

So these thinges shall be a lawe of iudgement vnto you, throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Whosoeuer killeth any person, the Iudge shall slay the murtherer, through witnesses: but one witnesse shall not testifie against a person to cause him to die.

Moreouer ye shall take no recompense for the life of the murtherer, which is worthy to die: but he shalbe put to death.

Also ye shall take no recompense for him that is fled to the citie of his refuge, that he should come againe, and dwell in the lande, before the death of the hie Priest.

So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye shall dwell: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be clensed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

Defile not therefore the lande which yee shall inhabite, For I dwell in the middes thereof: for I the Lord dwel among the children of Israel.

(Joshua 21:1–45; 1 Chronicles 6:54–81)

The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

“Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to dwell in out of their inheritance. You shall give pasture lands for the cities around them to the Levites.

They shall have the cities to dwell in. Their pasture lands shall be for their livestock, and for their possessions, and for all their animals.

“The pasture lands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward one thousand cubits(a) around it.

You shall measure outside of the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall be the pasture lands of their cities.

“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities.

All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands.

Concerning the cities which you shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many you shall take many, and from the few you shall take few. Everyone according to his inheritance which he inherits shall give some of his cities to the Levites.”

Six Cities of Refuge

(Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Deuteronomy 19:1–14; Joshua 20:1–9)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

The cities shall be for your refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge.

These six cities shall be refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreigner living among them, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.

The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death.

If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died,

or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

“‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait,

or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him so that he died, and he was not his enemy and not seeking his harm,

then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

The congregation shall deliver the man slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he had fled. He shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

“‘But if the man slayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge where he flees,

and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,

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 man slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies.

“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He shall surely be put to death.

“‘You shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

“‘So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it.

You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell among the children of Israel.’”

Footnotes

(a)35:4 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.