5 If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life. 6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm. 7 This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.
Deuteronomy 19:5–7
Semantically similar passages
Deuteronomy 4:41–43
41 Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east 42 to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities: 43 Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau…
Numbers 35:10–12
10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. 12 You are to have these cities as a refuge from the a…
Joshua 20:2–4
2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 When someone flees to one of these c…
Joshua 20:8–9
8 And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and…
Deuteronomy 19:10–12
10 Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed. 11 If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of th…
Exodus 21:12–14
12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. 13 If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. 14 But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you…
Numbers 35:14–16
14 Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge. 15 These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
Numbers 35:25–27
25 The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the… 27 …
Search the collection All books and codes Translations and sources