The Law of Cities of Refuge

1

When the LORD your God cuts off the nations, whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;

2

you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it.

3

You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land, which the LORD your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

4

This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live. Whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn’t hate him in time past;

5

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies, he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

6

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.

7

Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.

8

If the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;

9

if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three.

10

This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.

11

But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

12

then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

13

Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.

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