6. Of the cities which you shall give to the Levites there shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee into; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.
7. So all the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; you shall give them with their adjacent [suburb] pasturelands.
8. As for the cities, you shall give from the possession of the Israelites, from the larger tribes you shall take many and from the smaller tribes few; each tribe shall give of its cities to the Levites in proportion to its inheritance.
9. And the Lord said to Moses,
10. Say to the Israelites, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11. Then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the slayer who kills any person unintentionally and unawares may flee there.
12. And the cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he has had a fair trial before the congregation.
13. And of the cities which you give there shall be your six cities for refuge.
14. You shall give three cities on this [east] side of the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.
15. These six cities shall be a refuge for the Israelites and for the stranger and the temporary resident among them; that anyone who kills any person unintentionally and unawares may flee there.
16. But if he struck him down with an instrument of iron so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
17. And if he struck him down by throwing a stone, by which a person may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
18. Or if he struck him down with a weapon of wood in his hand, by which one may die, and he died, the offender is a murderer; he shall surely be put to death.
19. The avenger of blood shall himself slay the murderer; when he meets him, he shall slay him.
20. But if he stabbed him through hatred or hurled at him by lying in wait so that he died
21. Or in enmity struck him down with his hand so that he died, he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.
22. But if he stabbed him suddenly without enmity or threw anything at or upon him without lying in wait
23. Or with any stone with which a man may be killed, not seeing him, and threw it at him so that he died, and was not his enemy nor sought to harm him,
24. Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.