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The Fourth Book of Moses: Called Numbers, Chapter 35
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1 |
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan
near Jericho, saying,
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Command 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.
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3 |
And 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.
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4 |
And 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.
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5 |
And 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.
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6 |
And 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.
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7 |
So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be
forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
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8 |
And 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.
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9 |
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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Speak unto thechildren of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan
into the land of Canaan;
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Then ye shall appoint you cities to be
cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which
killeth any person at unawares.
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12 |
And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger;
that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in
judgment.
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13 |
And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have
for refuge.
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14 |
Ye 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.
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These 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.
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16 |
And 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.
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17 |
And 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.
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Or 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.
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The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he
meeteth him, he shall slay him.
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But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of
wait, that he die;
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Or 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.
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But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon
him any thing without laying of wait,
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Or 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:
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Then the
congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood
according to these judgments:
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And 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.
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But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of
the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
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And 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:
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Because 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.
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29 |
So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you
throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
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30 |
Whoso 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.
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31 |
Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a
murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to
death.
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32 |
And 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.
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33 |
So 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.
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34 |
Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I
dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.
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