Numbers

Tells about the Israelites' 40 years in the desert, including their travels and the census of their tribes.

Chapter 35

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

*And the Lord spoke to Moses in the open area of Moab, close to the Jordan River and Jericho, saying,

2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

*Tell the people of Israel to give the Levites cities to live in and surrounding areas too, as part of their land.

3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

*The towns will be their homes, and the surrounding areas will be for their animals and belongings.

4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

*The areas given to the Levites outside the cities must be 1,000 steps away from the city walls in all directions.

5 And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

*Measure 2,000 steps east, 2,000 steps south, 2,000 steps west, and 2,000 steps north from the city. The city will be in the center. This space outside will be the suburbs for the cities.

6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

*In the cities you give to the Levites, set aside six as safe places for someone who accidentally kills another person. They can run there for safety. Then add 42 more cities for a total of 48 cities.

7 So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.

*So, you will give the Levites 48 cities with their surrounding areas.

8 And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

*The cities you give will belong to the Israelites. Give more cities to those who have many, and fewer cities to those with fewer. Each person should give cities to the Levites based on their inherited land.

9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

*And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

*Tell the people of Israel, when you cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan.

11 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 you will choose places as safe cities where someone who accidentally kills another can run for protection.

12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

*These will be your safe cities where people can run when someone wants to take revenge. This way, the person who accidentally caused another's death won't be killed right away, but instead can wait to face the whole group for a proper judgment.

13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

*From these towns you give, six will be for safety.

14 Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

*You will provide three cities on this side of the Jordan River, and also give three cities in the land of Canaan. These will be "cities of refuge."

15 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

*These six cities are a safe place for: the children of Israel, visitors, and temporary residents; so anyone who accidentally kills someone can run there for safety.

16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

*If someone hits another person with something made of iron, causing their death, they are a murderer. The murderer must then be executed for their crime.

17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

*If someone throws a stone that kills another person, the one who threw it is a murderer. The murderer must be executed as punishment.

18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

*If someone hits another person with a wooden weapon that can cause death, and the person dies, then the one who caused the death is a murderer. The murderer must be executed as punishment.

19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

*The person seeking revenge will kill the killer: when they encounter each other, the avenger will kill the murderer.

20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

*But if he attacks him out of hate, or tries to kill him by setting a trap, then he dies.

21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

*If someone attacks another person with the intent to kill, they will be killed themselves. The person who takes revenge for the killing must kill the murderer when they encounter them.

22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

*But if he attacks him unexpectedly without hatred, or throws something at him without planning beforehand.

23 Or 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 sought his harm:

*Or using any stone that could accidentally kill someone without them seeing it, and throw it at them, causing death, even though they weren't an enemy, and didn't intend to harm them.

24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

*Then, the group will decide between the person who caused the death and the one seeking revenge for the death, based on these rules.

25 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.

*The group will save the person who caused someone's death from the person seeking revenge. They will bring him to the city where he can hide. He must stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with special oil, dies.

26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

*But if the person who caused death leaves the city's border where they sought safety;

27 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:

*If the person seeking revenge finds the one who caused the death outside the safe city, that person can kill the killer without being guilty of bloodshed.

28 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.

*He had to stay in the safe city until the high priest died. After the high priest's death, the person who caused the death could go back to their land.

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

*This means that this rule will be a guide for judging right from wrong, passed down through your family forever in every place you live.

30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

*Whoever kills someone will be killed by the people who saw it happen. But only two witnesses are needed to prove it, otherwise the person can't be killed based on just one witness.

31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

*Furthermore, you must not accept any payment for a murderer's life if they deserve to die; instead, they must be executed without fail.

32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

*You must not help the person who ran to a city of refuge to return to the land. They can only come back after the priest dies.

33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

*Don't make the land you live in dirty with blood; blood makes the land impure and it can only be cleaned by the blood of the person who caused the blood to be shed.

34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.

*Don't pollute the land where you live, because I, the Lord, live among the people of Israel.

read summary

Back to Chapters

Back to Books

* work in progress, there will be mistakes