Numbers 35:8-31
English Standard Version
9And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
10"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.
12The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
13And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge.
14You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.
15These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.
16"But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.
17And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.
18Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.
19The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
20And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died,
21or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
22"But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait
23or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,
24then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.
25And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
26But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled,
27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood.
28For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.
29And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.
