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¹ And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses in the fieldes of Moab by Iordane ouer against Iericho, saying:² Commaunde ye chyldren of Israel, that they geue vnto the Leuites of the inheritaunce of their possession, cities to dwell in: And ye shal geue also vnto the cities of the Leuites, suburbes harde by their cities rounde about them.³ The cities shall they haue to dwell in, and the suburbes for their cattell, and for their possession, & al maner of beastes of theirs.⁴ And the suburbes of the cities whiche ye shall geue vnto the Leuites, shall reache from the wall of the citie outwarde, a thousande cubites rounde about.⁵ And ye shall measure without the citie of the east syde, two thousande cubites: and of the south syde, two thousande cubites: and of the west side, two thousand cubites: and of the north side, two thousande cubites also, and the citie shalbe in the middes: and these shalbe the suburbes of their cities.⁶ And from among the cities whiche ye shall geue vnto the Leuites, there shal be sixe cities for refuge, whiche ye shall appoynt [to that intent] that he whiche kylleth, may flee thyther: And to them ye shall adde fourtie and two cities mo.⁷ So that all the cities whiche ye shall geue the Leuites, may be fourtie and eyght, them [shall ye geue] with their suburbes.⁸ And these cities whiche ye shall geue, shalbe out of the possession of the chyldren of Israel. They that haue many, shall geue many: but of them that haue fewe, ye shall take fewe. Euery one shal geue of his cities vnto the Leuites, accordyng to the inheritaunce whiche he inheriteth.

⁹ And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses, saying:¹⁰ Speake vnto the chyldren of Israel, and say vnto them: When ye be come ouer Iordane into the lande of Chanaan:¹¹ Ye shall appoint you cities, to be cities of refuge for you: that he whiche sleeth a person vnwares, may flee thyther.¹² And these cities shalbe vnto you a refuge from the auenger of blood: that he which killeth, dye not, vntill he stand before the congregation in iudgement.¹³ And of these cities which ye shal geue, sixe cities shall ye haue for refuge.¹⁴ Ye shal geue three on this side Iordane, and three in the land of Chanaan, whiche shalbe cities of refuge.¹⁵ And these sixe cities shalbe a refuge, both for the chyldren of Israel, and for the straunger, & for hym that dwelleth among you: that all they whiche kyll any person vnwares, may flee thyther.¹⁶ And if any man smyte another with an instrument of iron that he dye, then is he a murtherer, and the murtherer shall dye for it.¹⁷ If he smyte hym with throwyng a stone, that a man may dye with, and if he dye, he that smote hym is a murtherer: let the same murtherer be slayne therefore.¹⁸ Or if he smyte hym with a handweapon of wood that a man may dye with, then if he dye, he is a murtherer: let the same murtherer be slaine therfore.¹⁹ The reuenger of blood him selfe shal slay the murtherer: when he meeteth hym, he shall slay hym.²⁰ But if he thrust hym of hate, or hurle at hym by laying of wayte, that he dye,²¹ Or smyte hym with his hande of enmitie that he dye: he that smote hym shall dye the death, for he is a murtherer: the reuenger of the blood shall slay the murtherer when he meeteth hym.²² But if he pusshed hym vnaduisedly, and not of hate, or cast vpon hym any thing, and not in laying of wayte,²³ Or any maner of stone that a man may dye with, and saw him not, and he caused it to fall vpon hym, and he dye, and was not his enemie, neither sought hym any harme:²⁴ Then the congregation shal iudge betweene the slayer and the reuenger of blood, according to these lawes.²⁵ And the congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hande of the reuenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore hym to the citie of his refuge, whyther he was fled: and he shal abide there vnto the death of the hye priest, whiche was annoynted with the holy oyle.²⁶ But if the slayer come without the borders of his citie of refuge, whyther he was fled:²⁷ And the reuenger of blood finde hym without the borders of the citie of his refuge, and the reuenger of blood kyll the slayer, he shalbe gyltlesse:²⁸ Because he shoulde haue bydden in the towne of his refuge vntill the death of the hye priest; and after the death of the hye priest, the slayer should returne vnto the lande of his possession.²⁹ So these thynges shalbe a lawe of iudgement vnto you, throughout your generations, in al your dwellinges.³⁰ Whoso kylleth any person, the [Iudge] shall put the murtherer to death thorowe wytnesses: but one wytnesse shall not testifie agaynst any person, to cause hym to dye.³¹ Moreouer, ye shal take no recompence for the lyfe of the murtherer whiche is worthy to dye: but he shalbe put to death.³² And ye shall take no recompence for him that is fled to the citie of his refuge, that he shoulde come againe and dwell in the lande before the death of the hye priest.³³ So ye shall not pollute the lande whiche ye shall dwell in, for blood defileth the lande: and the lande can not be clensed of the blood that is shed therin, but by the blood of hym that shed blood.³⁴ Defile not therefore the lande whiche ye shal inhabite, for I am in the middes therof: [euen] I the Lord dwell among the chyldren of Israel.