Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites

(Joshua 21:1-45; 1 Chronicles 6:54-81)

1And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and suburbs for the cities round about them shall ye give unto the Levites. 3And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their suburbs shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.

4And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. 5And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

Six Cities of Refuge

(Deuteronomy 4:41-43; Deuteronomy 19:1-14; Joshua 20:1-9)

6And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee thither: and beside them ye shall give forty and two cities. 7All the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs. 8And concerning the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many ye shall take many; and from the few ye shall take few: every one according to his inheritance which he inheriteth shall give of his cities unto the Levites.

9And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the manslayer which killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither. 12And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment. 13And the cities which ye shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge. 14Ye shall give three cities beyond Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. 15For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, shall these six cities be for refuge: that every one that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

16But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a manslayer: the manslayer shall surely be put to death. 17And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a manslayer: the manslayer shall surely be put to death. 18Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a manslayer: the manslayer shall surely be put to death. 19The avenger of blood shall himself put the manslayer to death: when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death. 20And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died; 21or in enmity smote him with his hand, that he died: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a manslayer: the avenger of blood shall put the manslayer to death, when he meeteth him.

22But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him any thing without lying in wait, 23or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: 24then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these judgments: 25and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. 26But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth; 27and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: 28because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession.

29And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30Whoso killeth any person, the manslayer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. 31Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a manslayer, which is guilty of death: but he shall surely be put to death. 32And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 33So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood, it polluteth the land: and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell: for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.