The Slayer

Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that The Slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

Then The congregation shall judge between The Slayer and The revenger of blood according to these judgments:

• Anointing

And The congregation shall deliver The Slayer out of The hand of The revenger of blood, and The congregation shall restore him to The city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto The death of The high priest, which was anointed with The holy oil.

But if The Slayer shall at any time come without The border of The city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

And The revenger of blood find him without The borders of The city of his refuge, and The revenger of blood kill The Slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

Because he should have remained in The city of his refuge until The death of The high priest: but after The death of The high priest The Slayer shall return into The land of his possession.

That The Slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live:

• Refuge

Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide The coasts of thy land, which The LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every Slayer may flee thither.

• Government
• Priest
• Property

And this is The case of The Slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; As when a man goeth into The wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with The axe to cut down The tree, and The head slippeth from The helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: Lest The avenger of The blood pursue The Slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because The way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. read more And if The LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all The land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love The LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which The LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: Then The elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into The hand of The avenger of blood, that he may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away The guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in The land that The LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. show less

Lest The avenger of The blood pursue The Slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because The way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

That The Slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from The avenger of blood.

And if The avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver The Slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before The congregation for judgment, and until The death of The high priest that shall be in those days: then shall The Slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto The city from whence he fled.

Thus they gave to The children of Aaron The priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for The Slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for The Slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,

And unto The children of Gershon, of The families of The Levites, out of The other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for The Slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities.

And out of The tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for The Slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.

And out of The tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for The Slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into The hand of The Slayer.