Numbers 35

And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

1The LORD spoke to Moses. They were on the flat land of Moab. That was beside the Jordan River, near the city of Jericho.

2Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

2"Tell the people of Israel to give the Levites cities to live in. The Levites are the family who do God's work at the worship tent. Give them open land around each city too.

NoteThe KJV word here is "suburbs." It does not mean neighborhoods. It means open grassy land just outside the city wall, where animals could feed.

3And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

3They will live in the cities. The open land is for their cows, their sheep, and all their animals.

4And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

4The open land you give the Levites starts at the city wall. It reaches out one thousand cubits on every side.

NoteA cubit is about 18 inches, the length of a grown man's forearm. One thousand cubits is about 1,500 feet.

5And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side 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; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

5Measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east side. Measure two thousand more on the south, the west, and the north. The city sits in the middle. This land belongs to the cities.

6And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

6Six of the cities you give the Levites will be safe cities. Anyone who kills a person by accident may run there. Give the Levites forty-two more cities besides these six.

7So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.

7In all, give the Levites forty-eight cities. Give the open land around each one too.

8And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

8The cities come out of the land of the people of Israel. Tribes with much land give many cities. Tribes with little land give few. Each tribe gives from what it has."

9And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

9The LORD spoke to Moses again.

10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

10"Tell the people of Israel this. You will soon cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan.

11Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

11When you get there, pick some cities to be safe cities. Then a person who kills someone by accident can run there.

12And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

12These cities will keep him safe from the avenger. The avenger is a relative of the dead person who comes to pay him back. The one who killed must not die before the people hold a trial.

13And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

13Six of the cities you give will be safe cities.

14Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

14Give three cities on this side of the Jordan River. Give three more in the land of Canaan. All six will be safe cities.

15These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

15These six cities are for the people of Israel. They are also for foreigners and for visitors living among them. Anyone who kills a person by accident may run there.

16And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

16Suppose a man hits someone with an iron tool, and that person dies. Then he is a murderer. He must be put to death.

17And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17Suppose a man throws a stone big enough to kill, and the person dies. Then he is a murderer. He must be put to death.

18Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18Suppose a man kills someone with a wooden weapon in his hand. Then he is a murderer. He must be put to death.

19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

19The avenger, the relative of the dead person, will put the murderer to death. When he finds him, he will kill him.

20But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

20A man may push someone because he hates him, and that person dies. Or he may hide, wait, then throw something at him and kill him.

21Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

21Or he may hit him with his hand in anger, and the man dies. That man is a murderer. He must be put to death. The avenger will kill him when he finds him.

22But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

22But maybe a man pushes someone suddenly, with no anger at all. Or he throws something and was not planning to hurt anyone.

23Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

23Or he drops a heavy stone without seeing the person, and that person dies. The man was not his enemy. He did not want to hurt him.

24Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

24Then the people must decide between the one who killed and the avenger. They will use these rules.

25And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

25The people must keep the one who killed safe from the avenger. They will take him back to the safe city he ran to. He must stay there until the high priest dies. The high priest was chosen by having holy oil poured on him.

26But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

26But the man might step outside the edge of his safe city.

27And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

27If the avenger finds him outside and kills him, the avenger has done nothing wrong.

28Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

28The man should have stayed in his safe city until the high priest died. After the high priest dies, he may go home to his own land.

29So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

29These rules are for you always, for your children and their children, wherever you live.

30Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

30A murderer is put to death only when witnesses speak. Witnesses are people who saw what happened. One witness alone is never enough to put someone to death.

31Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

31Do not take money to save the life of a murderer. He must be put to death.

NoteThe KJV says "take no satisfaction." That means do not accept a payment from someone to let him escape his punishment.

32And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

32Do not take money from a man who ran to a safe city. He may not go home to his land before the priest dies.

33So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

33Do not make your land dirty. Blood spilled by murder makes the land dirty. Only the death of the one who killed can make the land clean again.

34Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.

34Do not make dirty the land where you will live. I live there among you. I am the LORD, and I live among the people of Israel."