Deuteronomy 19:5-7

New American Standard Bible 1995

⁵ as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand ^[a]swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the ^[b]handle and ^[c]strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live; ⁶ otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer ^[d]in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and ^[e]take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. ⁷ Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities for yourself.’