10. “Tell the Israelites these things: ‘You will cross the Jordan River and go into Canaan.
11. You must choose cities to be cities of safety. If a person accidentally kills someone, he may run to them for safety.
12. There he will be safe from the dead person’s relative who has the duty of punishing the killer. He will not die before he is judged in court.
13. The six cities you give will be cities of safety.
14. Give three cities east of the Jordan River. And give three cities in Canaan as cities of safety.
15. These six cities will be places of safety for citizens of Israel. And they will be for foreigners and other people living with you. Any of these people may run to one of these cities if he accidentally kills someone.
16. “‘If a person uses an iron weapon to kill someone, he is a murderer. He must be put to death.
17. A person might take a rock that could kill someone. If he kills a person with it, he is a murderer. He must be put to death.
18. A person might pick up a piece of wood that could kill someone. If he kills someone with it, he is a murderer. He must be put to death.
19. A relative of the dead person must put the murderer to death. When he finds the murderer, he must kill him.
20. A person might shove someone and kill him. Or he might throw something at someone and kill him.
21. Or he might hit someone with his hand and kill him. If he did that from hate, he is a murderer. He must be put to death. A relative of the dead person must kill the murderer when he finds him.
22. “‘But a person might suddenly shove someone. He did not hate the person. Or he might accidentally throw something and hit someone.
23. Or he might drop a rock that could kill someone. It might fall on someone he did not see. And it might kill that person. He didn’t plan to hurt anyone. He didn’t hate the person he killed.
24. If that happens, the community must decide what to do. They must decide between the relative of the dead person and the killer. Here are the rules.
25. They must protect the killer from the dead person’s relative. They must send the killer back to the city of safety that he ran to. He must stay there until the high priest dies. The high priest had the holy oil poured on him.