Numbers 35

¹And the Lord spak these thingis to Moises, in the feeldi places of Moab, aboue Jordan,

²ayens Jericho, Comaunde thou to the sones of Israel, that thei yyue to dekenes of her possessiouns,

³citees to dwelle , and the suburbabis of tho bi cumpas, that thei dwelle in `the citees, and the suburbabis be to beestis, and `werk beestis;

⁴whiche suburbabis schulen be strecchid forth fro the wallis of citees with outforth `bi cumpas, in the space of a thousynde paacis;

⁵ayens the eest schulen be two thousynde cubitis, and ayens the south in lijk manere schulen be two thousynde cubitis, and at the see that biholdith to the west schal be the same mesure, and the north coost schal be endid bi euene terme. And the citees schulen be in the myddis, and the suburbabis with outforth.

⁶Forsothe of tho citees whiche ye schulen yyue to dekenes, sixe schulen be departid in to helpis of fugityues, `ether of fleynge men, that he that schedde blood, fle to tho; and outakun these sixe, ye schulen yyue to dekenes othere two and fourti citees,

⁷that is, togidere eiyte and fourti, with her surburbabis.

⁸And tho citees that schulen be youun of the possessiouns of sones of Israel, schulen be takun awey, mo fro hem that han more, and fewere `schulen be takun awey fro hem that han lesse, alle bi hem silf schulen yyue bi the mesure of her eritage, citees to dekenes.

⁹The Lord seide to Moises,

¹⁰Spek thou to the sones of Israel, and thou schalt seie to hem, Whanne ye han passid Jordan, in the lond of Canaan,

¹¹deme ye whiche citees owen to be in to the helpis of fugityues, whiche not wilfuli han sched blood.

¹²In whiche whanne the fleere hath fled, the kynesman of hym that is slayn, schal not mow sle hym, til he stonde in the siyt of the multitude, and the cause of hym be demed.

¹³Forsothe of tho citees that ben departid to the helpis of fugityues,

¹⁴thre schulen be ouer Jordan, and thre in the lond of Canaan;

¹⁵as wel to the sones of Israel as to comelyngis and pilgryms; that he fle to tho citees, that schedde blood not wilfuli.

¹⁶If ony man smytith a man with yrun, and he that is smytun is deed, `the smyter schal be gilti of mansleyng, and he schal die.

¹⁷If he castith a stoon, and a man is deed bi the strook, he schal be punyschid in lijk maner.

¹⁸If a man smytun with a staf dieth, he schal be vengid bi `the blood of the smytere.

¹⁹The niy kynesman of hym that is slayn schal sle the mansleere; anoon as he takith hym, `that is, the manquellere, he schal sle hym.

²⁰If bi haterede a man hurtlith, `ethir schoufith, `a man, ethir castith ony thing in to hym bi aspiyngis,

²¹ether whanne he was enemy, smoot with hond, and he is deed, the smytere schal be gilti of mansleyng. The kynesman `of him that is slayn, anoon as he findith him, `that is, the sleere, schal sle hym.

²²That if bi sudeyn caas, and without hatrede and enemytees,

²³he doith ony thing of these;

²⁴and this is preued in heryng `of the puple, and the questioun of blood is discussid bitwixe the smytere and the kynesman,

²⁵the innocent schal be delyuered fro the hond of the vengere, and bi sentence of iugis he schal be led ayen in to the citee, to which he fledde, and he schal dwelle there, til the grete preest die, which is anoyntid with oile.

²⁶If the sleere is foundun with out the coostis `of the citees that ben asigned to exilid men,

²⁷and is slayn of him that is vengere, he that sleeth him, `that is, the exilid man, schal be with out gilt;

²⁸for the exilid man ouyte sitte in the citee `til to the `deth of the bischop; forsothe aftir that thilke bischop is deed, the mansleere schal turne ayen in to his lond.

²⁹These schulen be euerlastynge and lawful thingis in alle youre dwellyngis.

³⁰A mansleere schal be punyschid vndur witnessis; no man schal `be dampned at the witnessyng of o man.

³¹Ye schulen not take prijs of him which is gilti of blood, anoon and he schal die.

³²Men exilid, and fugityues, schulen not mow turne ayen in ony maner in to her citees, bifore the deeth of the bischop, lest ye defoulen the lond of youre abitacioun,

³³which is defoulid bi the blood of innocent men; and it may not be clensid in other maner, no but bi the blood of hym, that schedde the blood of anothir man.

³⁴And so youre possessioun schal be clensid, for Y schal dwelle with you; for Y am the Lord, that dwelle among the sones of Israel.

Numbers 35

¹And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

²Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

³And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.

⁴And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

⁵And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

⁶And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

⁷So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.

⁸And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.

⁹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

¹⁰Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

¹¹Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

¹²And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

¹³And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

¹⁴Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

¹⁵These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

¹⁶And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁹The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

²⁰But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

²¹Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

²²But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

²³Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

²⁴Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

²⁵And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

²⁶But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

²⁷And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

²⁸Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

²⁹So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

³⁰Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

³¹Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

³²And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

³³So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

³⁴Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.