Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites
(Joshua 21:1-45;1 Chronicles 6:54-81)
1And the LORDspakeunto Mosesin the plainsof Moabby Jordan[near] Jericho,saying,2Commandthe childrenof Israel,that they giveunto the Levitesof the inheritanceof their possessioncitiesto dwell in;and ye shall give[also] unto the Levitessuburbsfor the citiesround aboutthem.3And the citiesshall they have to dwell in;and the suburbsof them shall be for their cattle,and for their goods,and for all their beasts.
4And the suburbsof the cities,which ye shall giveunto the Levites,[shall reach] from the wallof the cityand outwarda thousandcubitsround about.5And ye shall measurefrom withoutthe cityon the eastsidetwo thousandcubits,and on the southsidetwo thousandcubits,and on the westsidetwo thousandcubits,and on the northsidetwo thousandcubits;and the city[shall be] in the midst:this shall be to them the suburbsof the cities.
Six Cities of Refuge
(Deuteronomy 4:41-43;Deuteronomy 19:1-14;Joshua 20:1-9)
6And among the citieswhich ye shall giveunto the Levites[there shall be] sixcitiesfor refuge,which ye shall appointfor the manslayer,that he may fleethither: and to them ye shall addfortyand twocities.7[So] all the citieswhich ye shall giveto the Levites[shall be] fortyand eightcities:them [shall ye give] with their suburbs.8And the citieswhich ye shall give[shall be] of the possessionof the childrenof Israel:from [them that have] manyye shall give many;but from [them that have] fewye shall give few:every oneshall giveof his citiesunto the Levitesaccordingto his inheritancewhich he inheriteth.
9And the LORDspakeunto Moses,saying,10Speakunto the childrenof Israel,and sayunto them, When ye be come overJordaninto the landof Canaan;11Then ye shall appointyou citiesto be citiesof refugefor you; that the slayermay fleethither, which killethany personat unawares.12And they shall be unto you citiesfor refugefrom the avenger;that the manslayerdienot, until he standbeforethe congregationin judgment.13And of these citieswhich ye shall givesixcitiesshall ye have for refuge.14Ye shall givethreecitieson this sideJordan,and threecitiesshall ye givein the landof Canaan,[which] shall be citiesof refuge.15These sixcitiesshall be a refuge,[both] for the childrenof Israel,and for the stranger,and for the sojourneramongthem: that every one that killethany personunawaresmay fleethither.
16And if he smitehim with an instrumentof iron,so that he die,he [is] a murderer:the murderershall surelybe put to death.17And if he smitehim with throwinga stone,wherewith he may die,and he die,he [is] a murderer:the murderershall surelybe put to death.18Or [if] he smitehim with an handweaponof wood,wherewith he may die,and he die,he [is] a murderer:the murderershall surelybe put to death.19The revengerof bloodhimself shall slaythe murderer:when he meetethhim, heshall slayhim.20But if he thrusthim of hatred,or hurlat him by laying of wait,that he die;21Or in enmitysmitehim with his hand,that he die:he that smote[him] shall surelybe put to death;[for] he [is] a murderer:the revengerof bloodshall slaythe murderer,when he meetethhim.
22But if he thrusthim suddenlywithoutenmity,or have castupon him any thingwithout laying of wait,23Or 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 soughthis harm:24Then the congregationshall judgebetween the slayerand the revengerof bloodaccording to these judgments:25And the congregationshall deliverthe slayerout of the handof the revengerof blood,and the congregationshall restorehim to the cityof his refuge,whither he was fled:and he shall abidein it unto the deathof the highpriest,which was anointedwith the holyoil.26But if the slayershall at any timecomewithout the borderof the cityof his refuge,whither he was fled;27And the revengerof bloodfindhim withoutthe bordersof the cityof his refuge,and the revengerof bloodkillthe slayer;he shall not be guilty of blood:28Because he should have remainedin the cityof his refugeuntil the deathof the highpriest:but afterthe deathof the highpriestthe slayershall returninto the landof his possession.
29So these [things] shall be for a statuteof judgmentunto you throughout your generationsin all your dwellings.
30Whoso killethany person,the murderershall be put to deathby the mouthof witnesses:but onewitnessshall not testifyagainst any person[to cause him] to die.31Moreover ye shall takeno satisfactionfor the lifeof a murderer,which [is] guiltyof death:but he shall be surelyput to death.32And ye shall takeno satisfactionfor him that is fledto the cityof his refuge,that he should come againto dwellin the land,until the deathof the priest.33So ye shall not pollutethe landwherein ye [are]: for bloodit defileththe land:and the landcannot be cleansedof the bloodthat is shedtherein, but by the bloodof him that shedit.34Defilenot therefore the landwhich ye shall inhabit,whereinI dwell:for I the LORDdwellamongthe childrenof Israel.
