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.
26. “‘That man must never go outside the limits of his city of safety.
27. If a relative of the dead person finds him outside the city, the relative may kill him. He will not be guilty of murder.
28. The killer must stay in his city of safety until the high priest dies. After the high priest dies, he may go back to his own land.
29. “‘These laws are for you from now on, wherever you live.
30. “‘A killer may be put to death only if he is a murderer. And there must be witnesses. No one may be put to death with only one witness.
31. “‘A murderer should die. Don’t take money to spare his life. He must be put to death.
32. “‘A person might run to a city of safety. Don’t take money to let him go back home before the high priest dies.