Numbers 35

Towns for the Levites

13 While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the LORD said to Moses, 2“Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands. 3These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock. 4The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet* from the town walls in every direction. 5Measure off 3,000 feet* outside the town walls in every direction—east, south, west, north—with the town at the center. This area will serve as the larger pastureland for the towns. 6"Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites. 8These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give Property in proportion to the size of its land.” Cities of Refuge I 9The LORD said to Moses, 10“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. 11When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ‘designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally. 12These cities will be places of protection from a dead person’s relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put to death before being tried by the community. 13Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves, 14three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west in the land of Canaan.

15These cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living amongyou, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there forsafety.MishpatEduthHuqqimPiqqudimDabarDath35:6 Of the 48 cities given to the Levites, six were cities ofrefuge. These six cities were probably put under the Levites’Supervision because they would be the most impartial judges.uch cities were needed because the ancient customs of justiceCalled for revenge in the event of the death of a relative or lovedOne (2 Samuel 14:7). The Levites would hold a preliminary hear-‘Ng outside the gates while the accused person was kept in theCity until the time of his trial. if the killing was judged accidental,the person would stay in the city until the death of the high priest.that time, he would be allowed to go free, and he could start aNew life without worrying about avengers. if it was not accidental,the Person would be delivered to the slain person's avengers.'S system of justice shows how God's law and his mercy goind in hand,95:11-28 if anyone died because of violence, murder was@ssumed, but the murder Suspect was not automatically assumedQuilty. The cities of refuge assured the accused that justice would8 Served. But if that person left the city, then he or she wouldbe assumed guilty and able to be killed by the avenging party:The people were to be intolerant of the sin yet impartial to theaccused so as to have a fair trial. The cities of refuge representedGod’s concern for justice in a culture that did not always protectthe innocent. It is unjust both to overlook wrongdoing and tojump to conclusions about guilt. When someone is accused Ofwrongdoing, stand up for justice, protect those not yet provenguilty, and listen carefully to al sides of the story.

16“But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed. 17Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. 18Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. 19The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death. 20So if someone hates another person and pushes him or throws a dangerous object at him and he dies, it is murder. 21Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet. 22"But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person, 23or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies. 24If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim’s nearest relative: >The community must protect the slayer from the avenger and must escort the slayer back to live in the city of refuge to which he fled. There he must remain until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the sacred oil. 26“But if the slayer ever leaves the limits of the city of refuge, 27and the avenger finds him outside the city and Kills him, it will not be considered murder. The slayer should have stayed inside the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to his own property. 29These are legal requirements for you to observe from generation to generation, wherever you may live. 30“A}l murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. °1Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death. 32And never accept aransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing a slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest. 9° This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.* 34You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the LORD, who lives among the people of Israel.”