New King James Version

Numbers 35:14-26 New King James Version (NKJV)

14. You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge.

15. These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

16. ‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17. And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18. Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19. The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.

20. If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies,

21. or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22. ‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait,

23. or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,

24. then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

25. So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

26. But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,