Numbers 35 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Cities for the Levites

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

Num 35:2

Num 35:2“Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities.

Num 35:3

Num 35:3“And the cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

Num 35:4

“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.

Num 35:5

Num 35:5“You shall also measure outside the city on the east side [fn]two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.

Cities of Refuge

Num 35:6

Num 35:6“And the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.

Num 35:7

Num 35:7“All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, [fn]together with their pasture lands.

Num 35:8

Num 35:8“Now as for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger, and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”

(Deu 19:1–13; Jos 20:1–9 )

Num 35:9

Then Yahweh^H3068 spoke^H1696 to Moses^H4872, saying^H559,

Num 35:10

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

Num 35:11

Num 35:11then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has struck down any person unintentionally may flee there.

Num 35:12

Num 35:12‘And the cities shall be for you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

Num 35:13

Num 35:13‘And the cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

Num 35:14

Num 35:14‘You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities [fn]in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge.

Num 35:15

Num 35:15‘These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel and for the sojourner and for the foreign resident among them; that anyone who strikes a person down unintentionally may flee there.

Num 35:16

‘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.

Num 35:17

Num 35:17‘And if he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Num 35:18

Num 35:18‘Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Num 35:19

Num 35:19‘The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.

Num 35:20

Num 35:20‘And if he pushed him of hatred or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died,

Num 35:21

Num 35:21or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

Num 35:22

‘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,

Num 35:23

Num 35:23or with any stone—by which one might die, yet without seeing—and it fell upon him, and he died, but he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury,

Num 35:24

Num 35:24then the congregation shall judge between the [fn]slayer and the blood avenger according to these legal judgments.

Num 35:25

Num 35:25‘And the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore 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.

Num 35:26

Num 35:26‘But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee,

Num 35:27

Num 35:27and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood

Num 35:28

Num 35:28because 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 manslayer shall return to the land of his possession.

Num 35:29

‘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.

Num 35:30

‘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.

Num 35:31

Num 35:31‘Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.

Num 35:32

Num 35:32‘And you shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land [fn]before the death of the priest.

Num 35:33

Num 35:33‘So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land, and no propitiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.

Num 35:34

Num 35:34‘And you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I Yahweh am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”