Deuteronomy 19:2-13
Read Deuteronomy 19 in full →2ayou shall set apart three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to 1possess. 3“You shall prepare the 1roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which Yahweh your God will give you to inherit, 2so that any manslayer may flee there.
4“aNow this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he strikes down his friend 1without premeditation, 2not hating him previously— 5as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand 1swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the 2handle and 3strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live; 6lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer when his heart is 1angry, and overtake him, because the way is long, and 2strike down his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. 7“Therefore, I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall set apart three cities for yourself.’
8“Now if Yahweh your God aenlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He 1promised to give to your fathers— 9if you 1be careful to do all this commandment which I am commanding you today, ato love Yahweh your God and to walk in His ways all your days—bthen you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. 10“So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance, and abloodguiltiness be on you.
11“But aif there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes down 1his life so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, 12then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and give him over into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13“1,aYou shall not pity him, but byou shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.