¹¹ select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(A) accidentally^(B) may flee.

²² “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^{(A) 23} or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴ the assembly^(B) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵ The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(C) who was anointed^(D) with the holy oil.^(E)

² then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. ³ Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

⁴ This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. ⁵ For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.

² “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, ³ so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally^(A) may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.^{(B) 4} When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate^(C) and state their case before the elders^(D) of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. ⁵ If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. ⁶ They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly^(E) and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

⁷ So they set apart Kedesh^(F) in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem^(G) in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba^(H) (that is, Hebron^(I)) in the hill country of Judah.^{(J) 8} East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer^(K) in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead^(L) in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan^(M) in the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally^(N) could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.^(O)

⁴ The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke^(A) of when he said^[a] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”^(B) Then David crept up unnoticed and cut^(C) off a corner of Saul’s robe.

¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared^(A) you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’

¹⁸ You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered^(A) me into your hands, but you did not kill me.