1 And the Lord also spoke these things to Moses in the plains of Moab, above the Jordan, opposite Jericho:
2 “Instruct the sons of Israel, so that they may give to the Levites, from their possessions,
3 cities as dwelling places, with their surrounding suburbs, so that they may lodge in the towns, and so that the suburbs may be for cattle and beasts of burden.
4 The suburbs shall extend from the outer walls of the cities, all around, for the space of one thousand steps.
5 Facing the east, there shall be two thousand cubits, and facing the south, similarly, there shall be two thousand cubits. Toward the sea, also, which looks out toward the west, there shall be the same measure, and the northern region shall be bounded by equal limits. And the cities shall be in the center, and the suburbs shall be outside.
6 Now, from the towns which you shall give to the Levites, six shall be separated for the assistance of fugitives, so that he who has shed blood may flee to them. And, aside from these, there shall be forty-two other towns,
7 that is, all together forty-eight with their suburbs.
8 And concerning these cities, which shall be given from the possessions of the sons of Israel: from those who have more, more shall be taken, and from those who have less, less shall be taken. Each shall give towns to the Levites according to the measure of their inheritance.”
9 The Lord said to Moses:
10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When you will have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 discern which cities ought to be for the protection of fugitives who have shed blood unwillingly.
12 And when a fugitive is in these, the kinsman of the deceased shall not be able to kill him, until he stands in the sight of the multitude and his case is judged.
13 Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,
14 three shall be across the Jordan, and three in the land of Canaan,
15 as much for the sons of Israel as for newcomers and sojourners, so that anyone who has shed blood unwillingly may flee to these places.
16 If anyone will have struck someone with iron, and he who was struck will have died, then he shall be guilty of homicide, and he himself shall die.
17 If he will have thrown a stone, and he who has been struck lies dead, then he shall be punished similarly.
18 If he who has been struck with wood passes away, he shall be avenged by the blood of the one who struck him.
19 The close relative of the deceased shall put to death the murderer; as soon as he apprehends him, he shall put him to death.
20 If, out of hatred, anyone assaults a man, or throws anything at him with ill intent,
21 or, while being his enemy, strikes him with his hand, and so he has died, the attacker shall be guilty of murder. The kinsman of the deceased, as soon as he finds him, shall cut his throat.
22 But if by chance, and without hatred
23 or animosity, he will have done any of these things,
24 and this has been proven in the hearing of the people, and the questions have been aired, between the one who struck and the close relative,
25 then the innocent one shall be freed from the hand of the revenger, and he shall be returned by this judgment into the city to which he had fled, and he shall stay there until the high priest, who has been anointed with the holy oil, dies.
26 If the one who has killed has been found beyond the limits of the cities which have been assigned to the exiled,
27 and he has been struck by him who is avenging blood, he who killed him shall not be harmed.
28 For the fugitive ought to have resided in the city, until the death of the high priest. Then, after he is dead, the one who has killed shall be returned to his own land.
29 These things shall be a perpetual ordinance in all your habitations.
30 The punishment of a murderer shall be based upon testimony; but no one shall be condemned upon the testimony of only one person.
31 You shall not accept money from him who is guilty of blood, and he shall be put to death promptly.
32 Exiles and fugitives, prior to the death of the high priest, are by no means able to be returned to their own cities.
33 Do not pollute the land of your habitation, so as to stain it with the blood of the innocent; neither is it able to be expiated in any way other than by the blood of him who has shed the blood of another.
34 And so shall your possession be cleansed, while I myself am abiding with you. For I am the Lord, who lives among the sons of Israel.”
Versículos relacionados com Numbers, 35:
Numbers 35 talks about the distribution of the cities of the Levites and the creation of the cities of refuge to those who commit involuntary homicide. These cities would serve as a safe place for those who accidentally took someone's life, preventing them from being killed by the victim's Avengers. Here are four verses related to the topics addressed in numbers 35:
Deuteronomy 19:2-4: "Designate three cities for you in the midst of your land, that the Lord, your God, gives you to possess. Prepare the roads and divide into three parts the area of your land that the Lord, the Lord, Your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any killer can escape to these cities. This is the legal procedure for the killers who run away and live: one who injured someone without intention should not be killed before having had a Judgment before the Assembly. " This verse relates to the creation of the cities of refuge mentioned in numbers 35 and describes the legal process to be followed for those who run away there.
Joshua 20:1-3: "Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, which I told them through Moses, so that anyone who kills a man unintentionally can escape there and find Protection of the killer's revenge. He will run away to one of these cities and present his case at the doors of the city. Then the city will receive man and give him a place to live among them. '"This verse also relates to the creation of the cities of Refuge and describe how they were established as a place of protection for those who committed involuntary murder.
Deuteronomy 4:41-42: "Then Moses separated three cities east of Jordan, where the man who killed someone unintentionally and had no grudge from the dead man could escape. He could escape to one of these cities and save his own life." This verse refers to the creation of the cities of refuge and describes the location of the three cities that were established east of Jordan.
Proverbs 18:10: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to her and are safe." This verse can be applied to the theme of the cities of refuge, as they served as a safe place for those seeking protection against the revenge of the victim's Avengers.
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